Fans are outraged with NHL following Marchand's performance last night

The Boston Bruins got handed a tough loss on their season opener on Wednesday, when the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals beat them down to a 7-0 mark. Bruins gritty forward Brad Marchand was so upset with the situation that he jumped Caps forward Lars Eller and dropped him with a huge right hand.

And of course, Marchand's reputation got the best of it. Marchand took exception to Eller chirping the Boston bench after scoring the Capitals seventh goal, jumping him several minutes later. Marchand earned “a two-minute minor for instigating, five minutes for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct, while Eller got five for fighting."

You can see the incident in the video above. 

However, while many wondered if there would be any discipline for his actions, the NHL's Department of Safety did not suspend Marchand, who was in the lineup Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres. 

Fans became outraged when the Bruins got the better of the Sabres 4-0, and Marchand collected four assists in the contest... 

During a segment of Insider Trading on TSN, Darren Dreger had to offer some explanations to fans on why Marchand was not suspended for his actions against Eller. And now, the explanations are even more needed following his brilliant performance in the Bruins' first victory of the season last night. Here is what Dreger had to say: 

"Some [are] wondering why Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins didn’t face supplemental discipline for effectively pummeling Lars Eller of the Washington Capitals. I’m told that look, it’s pretty simple, there are a lots of instigators that get handed out and you don’t suspended for instigating a fight. It was brutal, in fact it was downright nasty. Eller even in self defence tries to get his hands up, I mean is he fighting back? Is he not fighting back? If this had occurred a minute and change later, then Marchand would’ve been suspended for instigating a fight with less than five minutes."

After the incident took place, one panelist of Sportsnet, former general manager Brian Burke believed that Marchand was right to pound Eller the way he did. He added that it was a question of values for the Bruins gritty forward. 

The Capitals forward had just scored his first goal of the 2018-19 season, and sure that is exciting, especially with a 7-0 score right after the Stanley Cup banner was hoist in the arena. However, you are leading 7-0. No need to celebrate in front of the opposite team's bench and taunt them the way Eller did. Burke had a problem with Eller's celebration and completely understands why Marchand decided to take matters into his own hands. 

Marchand admitted that is why he took exception to Eller late in the game. 

"His celebration was unnecessary. He took an angle in front of our bench and celebrated in a 7-0 game. So I just let him know."