Bruins forward Brad Marchand disputes suspension for attacking Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry

Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand doesn’t dispute that his attack on Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry earlier this week was stupid. In fact, he used that word — “stupid” — repeatedly while speaking with media Friday in Boston.

But he does dispute the notion there should be consequences for his actions.

Marchand suggested his combination of a gloved punch to the side an unsuspecting Jarry’s head and intentionally jabbing Jarry’s mask with his stick during the late stages of the Penguins’ 4-2 win Tuesday at Boston’s T.D. Garden did not merit any kind of suspension, let alone the six-game sentence the NHL handed to him Wednesday.

“It’s tough to say what a suspension is,” Marchand said. “I never would have thought I was getting suspended for either of those things. If I would know where the line is, it would be different. But there’s been a lot of guys that (throw a) punch that don’t get suspended after the play, especially if there’s no injury. There’s a lot of sticks around people’s heads. Again, I barely touched him with it. Was it stupid? Of course it was stupid. I’m not denying that. I absolutely should not have done it.

“But suspension-worthy? I don’t think so. Again, that’s where, in the moment, if I would have thought I was getting suspended, I wouldn’t have done it. Especially if I thought I was going to get six games. That’s part of it that gets tough sometimes is to know where the line is when it changes for each player and each night.”

Marchand pointed out Jarry was not injured during the attack.

“These plays were not going to injure Jarry. There was going to be no potential injury on that play. He was very well protected. The fact that it’s six games is, again, it’s based on history. Not on the play. They make decisions based on the way they see it. But we feel it was very steep.”

Part of the reason it was steep was Marchand’s extensive history with regard to supplemental discipline. This episode marked the eighth time in his 13-year career he has been suspended. He also has been fined on five separate occasions.

Before Wednesday, his most recent suspension came Nov. 29 when the league sat him for three games after he slew-footed Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Nov. 28.

On Friday, Marchand even bemoaned the length of that suspension from just over two months ago.

“There’s different thresholds for different players,” Marchand said. “Mine’s obviously a lot lower than other guys at this point. Which, obviously, I’ve brought on myself. I’m not denying that I’ve crossed the line a lot and done some bad things.

“They threw the book at me on the last one, which really doubled it up on this one.”

The NHL considers any player who has received supplemental discipline more than one time within a span of 18 months as a “repeat offender.”

On Friday afternoon, the NHL Players’ Association, which was criticized by Marchand in December over a joint decision with the NHL to not participate in the ongoing Olympics, announced it would file an appeal on Marchand’s behalf to potentially reduce the suspension.

Players may appeal any suspension of six games or more to the league’s commissioner.

Should he serve out this suspension, Marchand will forfeit $448,170.72 in salary. That figure would inflate his financial losses to $1,419,568.33 of salary to either suspensions or fines.

Even with such a hit financially, Marchand indicated he doesn’t have plans to make dramatic changes to his style of play.

“I’m an emotional guy. I always have been,” Marchand said. “It will never change. That part of me will never change. I’ll never want it to change because that’s what makes me the player that I am. It’s just making sure that it’s reined in.”

Notes: The Penguins held an optional practice Friday in Cranberry in which only 10 players participated. Among those who skated were forwards Evgeni Malkin (covid-19) and forward Drew O’Connor (reported collapsed lung). … Coach Mike Sullivan labeled Malkin as a game-time decision for Sunday’s road game against the New Jersey Devils. Malkin has missed the past two games while in the NHL’s protocols for the virus. … Currently designated to long-term injured reserve, O’Connor repeatedly declined to offer any specifics on his ailment while speaking with media Friday. He has been sidelined since Jan. 15. Sullivan indicated there was no change in O’Connor’s status. … The Penguins assigned reserve forwards Michael Chaput and Valtteri Puustinen to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL).