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 might need crossed the road.

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

The Panthers lead the sequence 2-1 after a 6-2 victory in Boston on Friday evening.

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 examine. 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 instructed 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 a great, exhausting participant, however there’s clearly proof of what went on. Individuals can say it wasn’t intentional. We’ve our view of it.”

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

Within the Panthers’ sequence 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 imagine Bennett punched Marchand.

“No, and I do not assume most of you’d’ve both,” he mentioned Saturday. “It was only a collision. In an ideal world, each staff has all people wholesome. No person 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 the way to time it,” Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe mentioned. “It is an enormous talent the way to time hits like that and get guys like that. There’s only a few guys within the league like him that may try this and which have the talent 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 of come again, particularly a man who’s your chief and your finest participant. However that is a chance for guys to step up, and we are able to try this,” mentioned Boston heart Charlie Coyle, who famous that the Maple Leafs rallied towards the Bruins within the first spherical after shedding 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 will be in there. We play for one another, and that is one thing we will do [Sunday].”