Brad Marchand Takes Another Jab at Brandon Carlo Ahead of Leafs vs. Panthers Showdown

After the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Brandon Carlo at the deadline, and the Florida Panthers did the same with Brad Marchand, the two former teammates became bitter rivals as the two Atlantic Division powerhouses fight for the chance to call themselves champions.

The two spent nine seasons together, and a lot of camaraderie and support has built up between the two. It's just business after all.

But it's not going to stop both Carlo and Marchand from being a thorn in each other's sides.

It seems that while Carlo enjoyed Marchand's antics in Beantown, there is no place for it as enemies, and the towering defender was sure to give Marchand a piece of his mind.

It's going to keep coming too, as there's no doubt Marchand will try to annoy and pester not only Carlo, but the rest of the Maple Leafs lineup as he has for several seasons.

While it's obvious the two have a role to play with their respective teams, the animosity isn't necessarily personal.

Marchand's comments about feeling hurt about the comments should be taken with a grain of salt and it's hard to imagine someone with such a thick skin get bothered by something he's heard a dozen times before.

But the two were teammates for nearly a decade, and the kind of bond you form with a teammate you travel the continent with is as close as any. So there is a slight possibility that Carlo's words did strike a bit of a nerve with Marchand.

We'll have to see how the game goes. If Marchand is his usual self and doesn't seem affected by things, then it's just him stirring the pot a bit. But if he gets flustered, or starts to second-guess his tactics, that could be a massive advantage for Toronto.

If Marchand is constantly looking over his shoulder for Carlo, it takes his focus away from from helping the team to trying to keep his head on his shoulders and that little bit of a distraction could be the difference between a series win or loss.

For what it's worth, Carlo has been very good since coming over. In 14 games, he has two assists, 27 blocks, 21 hits, and a plus-five rating in 18:25 TOI.

Marchand to his credit, has not been as great since returning from injury after the trade. In six games, he has one assist, four blocks, 10 hits and a minus-two rating in only 17:18 TOI.

It's going to be interesting to see how things turn out on Tuesday night, and Carlo might just end up being the antidote to the Marchand poison that's killed the Maple Leafs time and time again.