Fight between Bruins' Marchand, Krug sparked by height joke

Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand is well known for getting under the skin of the opposition, but now he's doing it to his own teammates.

Marchand and defenseman Torey Krug got into a fight at practice on Tuesday - a scuffle that both players confirmed was precipitated by Marchand making fun of Krug's height, according to NESN.

The pair had to be separated by goaltender Tuukka Rask and forward Reilly Smith, reports ESPNBoston's Joe McDonald.

The argument started when Marchand told Krug's friend that he was taller than the blue-liner, a comment that upset Krug.

Both players are listed at 5-foot-9 on the team's official website.

In case there were any lingering concerns about whether or not the players were still at odds, Marchand and Krug led Tuesday's post-practice stretch together.

Head coach Claude Julien said that there is no issue.

"I don’t think it’s a bad thing and that’s why I didn’t even react," Julien said.

"Just competing in practice," Krug said. "Tempers flare a little bit. Nothing crazy but obviously you saw afterward we were fine with each other. Who knows, maybe this is what our team needs a little bit."

The Bruins could certainly use a spark, having lost four of their last five games, including a 2-1 defeat to the lowly Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. 

Boston is ninth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild card spot.

- With h/t to Days of Y'Orr