Marchand, Pastrnak adamantly refute radio host's report of rift

The Boston Bruins are in the midst of a season-worst six-game losing streak. According to a bombshell report, it's been a brutal stretch for the team both on and off the ice.

WEEI's Rich Keefe reported on Friday's "Jones & Keefe" that there are serious issues in the Bruins locker room that stem from a feud between the team's two biggest stars, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.

"The locker room is a disaster, and David Pastrnak is at the center of that," Keefe said. "David Pastrnak has told the team he doesn't want to be on a line with Brad Marchand, and it may stem from Brad Marchand calling out Pastrnak for some of his play throughout the year."

MORE BRUINS

Nick Goss 22 hours ago

Should Bruins pursue J.T. Miller if Canucks make him available via trade?

Nick Goss Jan 3

Kastelic's three-year extension with Bruins a good deal for both sides

Nick Goss Jan 8

Brutal loss to Oilers a painful reminder Bruins aren't a contender

Keefe has accurately reported Bruins news in the past. He broke the news of head coach Jim Montgomery's firing, revealed details on goaltender Jeremy Swayman's contract negotiations, and has shared updates on defenseman Hampus Lindholm's injury.

This report of a rift, however, was immediately refuted by both Marchand and Pastrnak. Marchand took Keefe to task for what he called a "blatant lie."

“I’ve heard what was said in the media this morning. It’s unfortunate,” the Bruins captain told reporters Friday. “I know reporters have a job to do and that job is to report on the team. Usually, you try to be fact-based. But when there’s just blatant lies told in the media, that’s where there’s a problem. The fact this guy has a platform and he's just making stuff up is embarrassing. There’s zero truth to anything that he said on the radio. This is how you lose your job very quickly. The fact that he’s gonna have a job after this is insane.

“Pasta and I are best friends. We’ve had an incredibly close relationship for a long time. The only reason we don’t play together is so that we can spread depth throughout the lineup. There’s zero truth to him being a problem in the room. He’s one of the most loved guys in the room. There’s zero issues in the room at all, and the fact he said he’s at the center of anything is a completely fabricated lie. This guy has zero merit to anything he’s saying.”

Marchand expressed his frustration with the rumors popping up as a result of what's been a disappointing all-around season for the club.

“We have not pulled our weight this year. We have not had the season we want to have," he added. "But I’m not gonna let some random guy come in the media and just spit absolute nonsense. From this point forward, this guy has zero credibility. The fact he’s coming out with this is ridiculous, it's embarrassing, and anything he puts forth in the future is not going to be deemed as truth because he’s completely making all of this up. …

"If he would have fact-checked, he would have found out that it’s all nonsense. There’s zero truth to this. It’s ridiculous that we now have to address it. … But I’m not gonna let it become something that it’s not. So, this guy can go pound sand and go back to the closet where no one knew he was before and report on nothing because that’s what he’s going to be doing after this.”

Pastrnak was all smiles when he addressed the report Friday, saying that Marchand pulled him aside to make him aware of the rumors.

"He brought me in for a chat before practice to tell me what's out there," Pastrnak said. "Honestly, I've been laughing for a little bit. ... I don't make much of it. I know how I feel about Marchy and we love each other. I have a huge amount of respect for him. So we had a good laugh about it, it's 100 percent false. ...

"I've never said I don't want to play with this guy to the coaching staff or management, and I never would. ... I love playing with Marchy. I've been playing with him for so long."

While it's unfortunate the Bruins must deal with the drama amid their worst stretch of the season, perhaps they'll use it as fuel to snap their six-game skid. Boston (20-19-5) will visit the Florida Panthers (25-15-2) for a Saturday matinee with puck drop set for 1 p.m. ET.