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Bruins Captain Brad Marchand Will Not Play In Game 4

Originally posted on Boston Hockey Now | By Jimmy Murphy | Last updated 5/12/24

As expected, the Boston Bruins will not have their captain, Brad Marchand, in the lineup for Game 4 against the Florida Panthers on Sunday night at TD Garden.

Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed to the media on Sunday morning that the Bruins captain will not play in Game 4. That means that the Bruins will have to try and tie this Eastern Conference semifinal series at two games apiece without their emotional leader and sparkplug. They will also be without their team leader in assists and points, as Marchand has seven helpers to go along with three goals in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Marchand was injured early in the first period of his team’s 6-2 loss on Friday night. After realizing he was about to be the recipient of a reverse hit from Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett, Marchand braced for impact and got the worst of it. The 5-foot-9, 176-pound Bruins winger appeared to take the butt-end of Bennett’s stick as the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Panthers center followed through on the hit. He fell to the ice hard and, thankfully, in front of the Bruins’ bench because he was shaken up and needed help to get to the bench.

Man, shame we didn’t pick up a sucker punch. Let’s hope Marchand isn’t dealing with a concussion. Would be a shame to have missed something like this in a highly scrutinized game @NHLPlayerSafety @RearAdBsBlog @MikeGrinnell_ pic.twitter.com/mbbhWtoNtF

— TD, Esq. (@to_do_82) May 11, 2024

Brad Marchand missed a couple of shifts but returned and tried to battle through whatever the injury was that he suffered in the collision with Bennett. After playing 10:51, 15 shifts, and registering four hits but no points, Marchand was done after two periods of play. He did not practice on Saturday.

Montgomery let it be known on Saturday that he believed Bennett made a dirty play on Marchand.

“In real-time, my eyes weren’t on there as the puck had left that area,” Montgomery told reporters after his captain missed practice on Saturday. “But having seen it, there’s a history there with Bennett. Hard player, but there’s clearly evidence of what went on. People can say it wasn’t intentional, but we have our view of it.”

There was some good news from Saturday’s practice, however, as Montgomery confirmed that winger Danton Heinen has been cleared to play. On Sunday, Montgomery told reporters that he was deciding whether to insert Heinen, who has been out since Game 5 (April 30), into the lineup or dress seven defensemen and 11 forwards.

The Bruins held an optional game-day skate on Sunday morning, so there were no forward lines or defensive pairings. Here’s what the lineup looked like at practice on Saturday:

Forwards

Jake DeBrusk – Morgan Geekie – David Pastrnak

James van Riemsdyk – Pavel Zacha – Justin Brazeau

Danton Heinen – Charlie Coyle – Trent Frederic

Jakub Lauko – John Beecher – Pat Maroon

Defensemen

Mason Lohrei – Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Carlo

Derek Forbort – Andrew Peeke

Goalies

Jeremy Swayman

Linus Ullmark