The Boston Bruins did not have fun in Game 3 against the Florida Panthers. Florida was all over Boston on Friday night, and now holds a 2-1 lead in the series . Things got even worse for Boston on Friday night, though. Captain Brad Marchand took a hit from Sam Bennett early in the contest. And now, the Bruins may be without their star veteran.
Marchand left Game 3 on Friday night, the team announced. Boston also acknowledged that their captain was unlikely to return to the contest. Sam Bennett and the Panthers went on to defeat the Bruins 6-2. Florida has now won their last four playoff games played in Boston.
Brad Marchand was clearly shaken up following that hit. In Game 3, he played nearly 11 minutes across 15 shits. However, he did not record a single shot on goal. He blocked a shot and threw five hits of his own before his exit against the Panthers on Friday.
Brad Marchand is vital to Bruins
Marchand has long been an integral piece of the Bruins. The 35-year-old is not the offensive force he was earlier in his career. Still, the Halifax native is a major piece to this current Boston team. This is evident through his play against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Bruins blew a 3-1 lead against Toronto in the previous round. And Marchand did go without a point in the final three games of that series. However, he was a big part of their early domination in that series. He scored three goals and eight points in the first four games of the series. In three of those four games, he recorded more than one point.
Against the Panthers, Marchand has continued to contribute. He added an assist in Game 1 and Game 2 of the series. The Bruins emerged victorious in Game 1 with an emphatic 5-1 win. However, the Panthers stormed back in the second contest to tie the series heading into Game 3.
The Bruins can certainly get by without Brad Marchand in the lineup. But there is a lot that their captain does off the puck that makes them successful. If he is out long-term, it’ll certainly be interesting to see how Boston lines up for the remainder of their series against the Panthers.
Bruins fall behind Panthers in series
The Brad Marchand injury will be a topic of discussion for a bit before Game 4. But no matter how that plays out, Boston has to find a way to get back on track. They head into Game 4 on home ice needing a win in order to stave off a potential do-or-die Game 5 in front of a raucous Panthers crowd.
Boston certainly has work to do before the puck drops on Game 4, though. Since their big Game 1 win, they have chased the game against Florida. In fact, they have been outscored 12-3 in Games 2 and 3. It goes without saying that this cannot continue if the Bruins want to win the series.
The Bruins don’t have a ton of time to work on their game, though. Game 4 against the Panthers takes place on Sunday evening from TD Garden with puck drop scheduled for 6:30 PM Eastern Time. Let’s see if Brad Marchand will be ready for that contest. And whether or not he and Sam Bennett interact during the contest.
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