Jets, Preds not cool with Marchand getting his licks in

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This article was published 05/05/2018 (2723 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NASHVILLE — Brad Marchand and ‘Lick-gate’ had plenty of tongues wagging in the Predators and Jets dressing rooms Saturday following the teams game-day skates.

The talented but troublesome Boston Bruins forward has the entire hockey world talking after licking a pair of opponents during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Some called it a tasteless move. Others figured it was just more wacky antics from a player who just keeps crossing the line.

“You want to take a shower. That was my first thought,” said Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice, generating a huge laugh from the assembled media at Bridgestone Arena. “I think everybody does when they see it. The willies — is that the word? Yeah, it gives me the willies.”

On Friday night, Marchand stuck his tongue out and planted it on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan.

Should Brad Marchand be penalized for licking his opponents?

MORE: https://t.co/hH4fvjcC1C pic.twitter.com/VMED4v29Yy

— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) May 5, 2018

The NHL has clearly had enough. The league’s director of hockey operations, Colin Campbell, talked to the Bruins and has ordered an end to the strange behaviour, calling it “unacceptable.”

Marchand has been put on notice and any similar behaviour in the future will be dealt with through supplemental discipline.

He licked Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov in Game 1 of their opening-round series. Komarov was also the victim of a kiss on the cheek from Marchand during the regular season.

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Maple Leaf? #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/UFO1UFVO7Y

— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) April 13, 2018

Callahan restrained himself during the incident. Speaking after the Lightning’s 4-3 overtime victory, he said getting licked was akin to getting spit on.

Jets centre Adam Lowry said his response would be swift if he’d been on the receiving end.

“Probably punch him in the face,’’ Lowry said, smirking. “I think I’d be pretty pissed off. You’d look for the refs, I don’t even know if it’s a penalty, but for misconduct or something. No, that would be real irritating for sure.

“I think Callahan said it best, it’s like spitting on someone. It’s extremely disrespectful. I don’t think there’s a place for that stuff in the game. You got to respect your opponents. I get playing hard in a series and there might be some dislike between guys, but there’s a certain line that shouldn’t be crossed and that’s one of them.”

Winnipeg forward Blake Wheeler spent parts of two seasons as Marchand’s teammate in Beantown. He said Saturday the odd shenanigan is a new twist from the Bruins star.

“It’s a new tendency,” he said. “It’s unusual. (Marchand) does a great job. He’s clearly in everyone’s head right now. That’s what makes him such an effective player. Ninety per cent of it is he’s just a hell of a player. The 10 per cent is he gets people spinning in circles and so worried about what he’s going to do, he just takes over games.”

The Jets captain was asked if the conduct reflects poorly on the game.

“That’s not something we’re going to try to do in here,” Wheeler said. “We’re not encouraging our guys to follow suit.”

Nashville defenceman Ryan Ellis said he’d try to keep his cool if Marchand moved in for a taste.

“You don’t want to take a penalty by punching him, so you’d accept it, I guess. In the playoffs, every action is so important to the team. You’d probably just take it and suck it up,” he said.

Predators centre Kyle Turris called it a “gross situation.”

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“There’s a line that you can’t cross, and that was kind of crossing it,” Turris said. “Yeah, unsportsmanlike I guess. I mean, to be honest, it might be the last thing that would ever come to my mind. I’ve never thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to lick somebody or somebody is going to lick me.’ It’s just a weird… It’s just kind of a weird thing”

Blowing a kiss to Tyler Myers would be an option for Marchand in an effort to agitate the Jets’ blue-liner.

“The guys aren’t tall enough to lick me,” said the 6-7 defender.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @WFPJasonBell