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Brad Marchand fighting a dude.1st line – Brad MarchandUntil further notice, Brad Marchand has a spot in perpetuity on the jerkpuck all-star team. Superficially he’s toned it down this season, though he hasn’t really, but here’s the rule: if Barack Obama has made fun of you for being known as a “little ball of hate” you’re probably a fantastic jerkpuck player.As previously mentioned, Marchand has superficially toned it down this season. Gone are the expansive pirouettes; in are the sneaky dives that you might miss if you blink. For a guy who once had the word “champion” misspelled on his body by a tattoo artist, Marchand does seem to be learning.
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Nazem throwin' bows.2nd line – Nazem KadriKadri may not be Gretzky, but damn it can he draw a penalty. He leads the league in penalties drawn by a wide margin and does it with the league’s most subtle embellishment; a shoulder shimmy alerts the referee that Kadri has been hooked. For the most part, when Kadri does the shimmy he has been hooked, but Toronto’s wonderkid always gives it the hard sell.There’s some rat in his game too. Earlier this season I saw a game between the Marlies and the Grand Rapids Griffins in which Kadri’s teammate Matt Frattin completely laid out a Griffins forward. The Griffins forward was visibly injured on the play, but the puck bounced back to his feet. He bravely made a play on it, only to have Kadri take a four strider and hit a clearly hurting player for a second time.Kadri was promptly jumped by a Griffins face puncher, and was wise not to respond. The facepuncher took a minor penalty for roughing and Kadri scored on the ensuing power play. It’s possible that Nazem Kadri is jerkpuck concentrate.2nd line – Shane DoanIf every head Shane Doan has ever hunted were put in a glass jar, Doan’s living room would look like the Governor’s. The team he captains had the most petulant reaction to a series loss that I’ve ever seen in my lifetime of watching professional hockey, but Doan continues to be widely praised for his leadership.
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