Brad Marchand questionable for G4; Bruins unhappy with hit

BOSTON — Brad Marchand is day-to-day with an upper-body harm after a collision with Florida Panthers ahead Sam Bennett in Sport 3 that the Boston Bruins mentioned may need crossed the road.

The Bruins captain’s standing for Sport 4 on Sunday is unsure. He did not apply with the group Saturday. Marchand is the Bruins’ main scorer within the playoffs with 10 factors in 10 video games (3 targets, 7 assists).

The Panthers lead the collection 2-1 after a 6-2 victory in Boston on Friday night time.

Some on social media mentioned a slow-motion replay reveals Bennett making contact with Marchand’s head utilizing his proper glove because the Boston winger went for a verify. Andrew Raycroft, a former NHL goaltender who covers the Bruins for NESN, referred to as it “a sucker punch, not a reverse hit.”

A supply informed ESPN that the NHL division of participant security is not going to self-discipline Bennett for the play, which didn’t obtain a penalty from on-ice officers.

Bruins coach Jim Montgomery did not see the incident in actual time however mentioned “having seen [the replay], there is a historical past there with Bennett. He is , exhausting participant, however there’s clearly proof of what went on. Folks can say it wasn’t intentional. We’ve our view of it.”

Montgomery mentioned the historical past with Bennett is not with Marchand specifically however in delivering that type of blow on earlier hits.

Within the Panthers’ collection towards the Toronto Maple Leafs final season, for instance, Bennett’s proper glove made contact with the face of ahead Matthew Knies earlier than Bennett slammed Knies to the ice. Knies was concussed on the play, and a few mentioned Bennett had delivered a sneaky punch to the Toronto rookie.

Florida coach Paul Maurice mentioned he did not consider Bennett punched Marchand.

“No, and I do not suppose most of you’ll’ve both,” he mentioned Saturday. “It was only a collision. In an ideal world, each group has all people wholesome. No one likes to see him get harm.”

Bennett returned to the Florida lineup for the primary time since Sport 2 of the primary spherical towards the Tampa Bay Lightning. He performed 12:43 and assisted on Vladimir Tarasenko’s power-play objective that gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead.

“He hits exhausting. He is thick and a extremely robust man. He is aware of methods to time it,” Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe mentioned. “It is an enormous ability methods to time hits like that and get guys like that. There’s only a few guys within the league like him that may do this and which have the ability set that he has.”

Marchand skated eight shifts within the first interval and 7 within the second interval, amassing 10:51 in whole ice time earlier than departing. He did not register a shot on objective and had one shot try.

“You by no means need to see somebody go down and never be capable to come again, particularly a man who’s your chief and your finest participant. However that is a possibility for guys to step up, and we will do this,” mentioned Boston middle Charlie Coyle, who famous that the Maple Leafs rallied towards the Bruins within the first spherical after dropping star Auston Matthews to an upper-body harm.

“I feel you may see guys tackle extra accountability and rise to that event,” Coyle mentioned. “We need to play for guys who’re out of the lineup and we want could be in there. We play for one another, and that is one thing we’ll do [Sunday].”