Brad Marchand, the team’s captain and leading scorer in the playoffs, is currently listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury following a collision with Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett in Game 3.
The incident occurred during the Panthers’ 6-2 victory over the Bruins in Boston on Friday night. Some slow-motion replays suggest that Bennett may have made contact with Marchand’s head using his right glove as the Bruins winger went in for a check.
Andrew Raycroft, a former NHL goaltender who now covers the Bruins for NESN, described the play as “a sucker punch, not a reverse hit.”
Despite the controversy surrounding the incident, the NHL’s department of player safety has decided not to discipline Bennett for the play, which did not receive a penalty from the on-ice officials. However, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery expressed his concern about the incident, stating, “People can say it wasn’t intentional. We have our view of it.”
Montgomery also mentioned that Bennett has a history of delivering similar blows on previous hits, citing an example from last season’s series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, where Bennett’s right glove made contact with the face of forward Matthew Knies before slamming him to the ice, resulting in a concussion for the Toronto rookie.
On the other hand, Panthers coach Paul Maurice defended his player, saying he didn’t believe Bennett punched Marchand. “It was just a collision. In a perfect world, everyone on every team is healthy. Maurice expressed that no one enjoys witnessing him sustain injuries.
The loss of Marchand, who has 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in 10 playoff games, could be a significant blow to the Bruins as they trail the Panthers 2-1 in the series. His status for Game 4 on Sunday remains uncertain, as he did not practice with the team on Saturday.
Despite the setback, Bruins center Charlie Coyle remains optimistic about the team’s ability to step up in Marchand’s absence. “You never want to see someone go down and not be able to come back, especially a guy who’s your leader and best player.” But that’s an opportunity for guys to step up, and we can do that,” Coyle said, citing the example of the Maple Leafs rallying against the Bruins in the first round after losing star Auston Matthews to an upper-body injury.
As the series continues, all eyes will be on the Bruins to see how they adapt to the potential absence of their captain and leading scorer. Will other players step up to fill Marchand’s void? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the playoffs are heating up, and every game counts.
The Information is Collected from ABC News and CBS News
