Scott Laughton Breaks Silence on Heated Verbal Clash with Brad Marchand

When Scott Laughton arrived in Toronto he came with a lot of expectations alongside him. Expected to add a lot of defense and potentially some offensive flair, he was made out to be a very solid and sneaky add to the team.

While he hasn't wowed people by any means, he is still a solid contributor and helping at critical times.

Adding a bit more edge to the lineup, he's been engaging in verbal spats with everyone since coming over.

Not afraid to get in anyone's face, Laughton particularly has had some chirps back and forth with notorious pest Brad Marchand. Constantly going back and forth this season, it seems like there's a method behind the madness.

Speaking to reporters after the Maple Leafs 5-4 OT loss thanks to Marchand's winner, he spoke about his relationship with the forward and how he's using it as motivation to keep up with him:

It also seems like head coach Craig Berube doesn't seem to have an issue with it either, as the former enforcer endorsed Laughton's verbal spats:

It's refreshing to see a Leafs player being able to keep pace with Marchand's antics, as he's been nothing but a nuisance for years. Laughton and the others aren't going to settle for his nonsense and will let him know about it.

Someone who knows all about Marchand is Brandon Carlo, as the former teammates are now enemies, and he could be huge in figuring how to best neutralize Marchand enough to sneak out a win in Game 4.

Though it's Not just Marchand who is causing issues for the Maple Leafs, and they need to think about the likes of Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, Aaron Ekblad, and the litany of hard-hitting bruisers Paul Maurice employs.

But now heading into Game 4, the team is going to need Laughton and everyone else to keep Marchand and the rest of the Panthers at bay. They were in the same spot against Ottawa and let a lead slip away.

They can't do it again, especially with the edge this team brings to cut down Florida's shenanigans, so it's up to Laughton to keep not only his mind but his words sharp going forward.