The Bruins are looking to bounce back after consecutive losses to the Panthers in their second-round Stanley Cup playoffs series, but they will have to do so without one of their best players.
Forward Brad Marchand is set to miss Game 4 after suffering an apparent upper-body injury in Game 4. The injury occurred when the 36-year-old winger was hit hard by Florida forward Sam Bennett while heading to the bench.
Marchand finished Game 3 despite the big hit, but he won't be able to suit up in Game 4. It isn't clear how much longer he will be sidelined beyond that.
Here's what to know about Marchand's injury and his status moving forward.
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Is Brad Marchand playing tonight?
Marchand is not playing in Game 4 against the Panthers. He was ruled out by coach Jim Montgomery with an upper-body injury before the contest, the Bruins coach announced during a news conference.
Montgomery didn't immediately clarify who might replace Marchand in Boston's lineup. He noted that Danton Heinen could return after missing five games with an injury, but he also left open the possibility that the team could choose to activate a seventh defenseman and roll with 11 forwards instead of the usual 12 in Marchand's absence.
Either way, the Bruins won't have the services of Marchand in a critical Game 4. Boston trails the series 2-1, and Marchand has recorded 10 points (three goals, seven assists) across 10 games this postseason.
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Brad Marchand injury update
The exact nature of Marchand's injury is presently unknown. The NHL's injury report only requires teams to list players as suffering upper- or lower-body injuries, and Marchand's malady is of the upper-body variety.
Montgomery only offered that the team captain was "doing well" and would be "day to day" after his injury.
The Bruins coach wouldn't specify whether Marchand — who took a blow to the head from Sam Bennett in Game 3 — had suffered a concussion. He indicated that Marchand was in attendance at a team meeting, however, so that may give Boston fans hope that the team's second-leading scorer can return to the ice for Game 5.
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What happened to Brad Marchand?
Marchand suffered his upper-body injury after colliding with Bennett early in the Bruins' 6-2 Game 3 loss to the Panthers.
Marchand was playing the puck between both benches when Bennett came over to check him. He appeared to hit the Bruins winger with his right fist as part of the check.
🚨 New angle just dropped of Sam Bennett punching Marchand in the face 🚨 pic.twitter.com/fL8dNXWeR7
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 12, 2024
No penalty was called as a result of the hit, but Montgomery and the Bruins were none too happy with it. The coach made that opinion known after the game.
"There's a history there with Bennett," Montgomery told reporters. "He's a hard player. There's clearly evidence of what went on. People can say it wasn’t intentional, but we have our view of it."
Montgomery echoed those sentiments when he announced Marchand would miss Game 4.
"I just thought it was outside the lines," Montgomery said of the Bennett hit. "I think it was someone that plays the game on the edge and knew what he was doing. I don't know if you saw the picture from behind, but he clearly loaded up [before hitting Marchand]."
The Bruins coach also said it was his fault the team didn't retaliate against Bennett for his hit on Marchand.
"There's reasons why we didn't, but there's something that I personally take responsibility for that," Montgomery said.
The Bruins' gripe with Bennett should add an interesting layer to Game 4. It will take a lot for Boston to even up the series without Marchand, but the Bruins may at least look to even the score with Bennett in the early stages of the Mother's Day matchup.
