Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand and Carolina Hurricanes center Vincent Trocheck got into a testy exchange through the media Tuesday.
It all started when Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer asked Trocheck if his playing style is similar to Marchand's.
"Are you calling me a rat?" Trocheck responded, referencing Marchand's nickname among rival fans due to the winger's physical appearance and agitating on-ice persona.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Marchand shared his thoughts on the zinger. Spoiler alert: He wasn't a fan.
"This is like comparing a Lambo to a Prius," he captioned the post, which included three screenshots comparing the two players' stats.
✔️violence pic.twitter.com/0VAO9upB1G
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) January 18, 2022
The two have a bit of a history dating back to Trocheck's time with the Florida Panthers. They got into a brouhaha in March 2018 after Marchand took issue when hit by Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau:
The next season, Trocheck delivered a high hit on Bruins forward David Pastrnak, drawing Marchand's ire:
As Marchand pointed out, he's greatly outproduced the Hurricanes center. Here's how the two stack up since Trocheck's breakout year in 2015-16:
| Stat | Marchand | Trocheck |
|---|---|---|
| GP | 457 | 439 |
| G | 223 | 125 |
| A | 307 | 196 |
| P | 530 | 321 |
The Bruins and Hurricanes square off Tuesday night in Boston.
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