The Bruins didn't need this during an already trying season.
On Friday, WEEI's Rich Keefe reported that the team's two biggest stars, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, were doing well, but both players quickly denied the story.
“The locker room is a disaster, and David Pastrnak is at the center of it,” Keefe said on “Jones & Keefe.” “David Pastrnak has told the team that he doesn't want to play alongside Brad Marchand, and that may be due to Brad Marchand criticizing Pastrnak for some of his own play.'' ”
More than halfway through the season, the Bruins are in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 20-19-5, with Pastrnak's struggles being one of the main reasons for their woes.
With 17 goals and 42 points through 44 games, the Czech winger is on pace for the lowest full-season goal total of his career and his lowest since the 2021-22 season.
Marchand, the team's captain, was not shy about publicly calling out teammates who weren't doing their part.
Still, he wasn't going to let Keefe's report go unanswered.
“I heard what was being said in the media this morning. It's disappointing,” Marchand told reporters. “I know that reporters have a job to do, and that job is to report on the team. Usually, you try to present it in a factual manner. But when the media is telling you nothing but obvious lies. , that's the problem. The fact that this guy has a platform and is just making this up is embarrassing. There's no truth to what he said. He loses his job. I can't believe he has a job after this.”
Marchand went on to call Pastrnak his “best friend” and explain the separation in this season's lineup.
“We've been incredibly close for a long time. The only reason we don't play together is to spread depth through the lineup,” he said. “There's zero truth to the fact that he's causing trouble in the room. … This guy has no value whatsoever.”
Pastrnak said the two longtime Boston forwards laughed at the coverage.
“[Marchand] He brought me in for a chat before practice. I laughed a little bit, to be honest,” Pastrnak said. “I thought he was making fun of me. Then he said it was true. That's not very helpful. I know how you feel about Marchie and that we love each other.” I have a lot of respect for him. We had a good laugh about it. That's 100% a lie.
“I've never in my career as a hockey player said to the coaching staff or management, 'I don't want to play with this player.' I would never do that. I love playing with Marchie. I've been playing with him for a long time. I can't imagine going to a coach and saying, 'I don't want to play with this guy.'
