Brandon Carlo Takes Subtle Shot at Brad Marchand Ahead Playoff Preview Matchup
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Former Boston Bruins teammates Brandon Carlo and Brad Marchand are now fighting against each other, with Carlo taking a verbal shot ahead of the playoffs.
As the Toronto Maple Leafs head back home to take on the Florida Panthers after a fairly successful road trip, the attention now turns to the last few games of the season which will make or break their playoff push.
Speaking of, there's a very good chance that Toronto will end up facing Florida at some point in the playoffs, and for Brandon Carlo, a former teammate of Marchand's in Boston and now patrolling the Maple Leafs blue line, it seems a bit surreal given their situation merely a month ago.
Brandon Carlo With Subtle Shot At Former Teammate Brad Marchand
Ahead of their matchup on Wednesday, Carlo took the time to comment on what it feels like to play against his former teammate:
It's going to be huge. We look at it as a challenge against a team we could very well be seeing in the near future.
And [Marchand] will be ready. I've had a first-hand view of how he rises to the occasion in big games.
It's going to be crazy facing him, I watched his first game there and saw his immediate impact. I know he'll be high energy and won't treat me any different than any other opponent, even though he's one of my best friends.
And [Marchand] will be ready. I've had a first-hand view of how he rises to the occasion in big games.
It's going to be crazy facing him, I watched his first game there and saw his immediate impact. I know he'll be high energy and won't treat me any different than any other opponent, even though he's one of my best friends.
But as friendly as the two are off the ice, Carlo understands both he and Marchand have one goal in mind:
I'm going to grin at him the first time we're out there for a face-off. After that, it's on. It's time to compete and battle. That's something we did almost every day in practice so it shouldn't be too much different.
Carlo came over to the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline in a deal that sent Fraser Minten to Boston but gave Toronto a true shutdown defenseman who has been stellar since arriving, and now with certain moves being made; that trade is a potential steal.
Though not a huge offensive presence, Carlo does have 10 points in 75 games (1G, 9A) but has added 143 blocks, 82 hits, and a plus-five rating in 18:43 TOI; he's signed with the team until 2026-27 and is making $4.1M per season.
He's certainly been a huge help for Morgan Rielly, and for the first time since having Luke Schenn, and for a rare instance, Rielly has a competent and reliable partner alongside him.
Brandon Carlo will have all the love for Brad Marchand, and given how much they played together it's an inevitability.
But as they step on the ice on Wednesday, there's no brotherly love as they'll look to do whatever it takes to help their team win.
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AVRIL 2 | 593 ANSWERS Brandon Carlo Takes Subtle Shot at Brad Marchand Ahead Playoff Preview Matchup Will Brad Marchand be a key factor in Toronto's playoff success or failure? | ||
| Yes | 237 | 40 % |
| No | 356 | 60 % |
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