Bruins
BEDFORD — It stays to be seen whether the Bruins could have their captain available Tuesday as they fight to stave off elimination against the Florida Panthers.
Before the Bruins departed for South Florida on Monday afternoon, Don Sweeney provided a temporary update on the status of Brad Marchand, who was out for Game 4 with an upper-body injury.
“Brad skated today,” Sweeney said. “He’ll travel with the team, he’s still in the day-to-day and hopefully carries on – boys have got to give him a chance.”
The Marchand sunrise hike is a step in the correct direction. The remainder of his teammates needing to “give him a chance” could signal that the Bruins may have to win Game 5 and return to Boston to offer the 36-year-old winger enough time to be cleared to play.
Marchand was injured in Game 3 of Boston's second-round series against Florida after he was hit within the face in an on-ice collision with Panthers forward Sam Bennett.
No penalties were assessed for the sport, and Bennett also received no additional disciplinary motion from the league following Marchand's injury.
Marchand, who struggled to get back on his skates after his collision with Bennett, played just 10:51 of ice time Friday and didn’t return within the third period of Boston's Game 3 loss.
A brand new camera angle released Sunday night of the collision between Bennett and Marchand in Game 3 provided clear evidence that it was Bennett's strike that sent the Bruins falling forward onto the ice – and never a heavy backward strike.
After Florida's Game 4 win on Sunday, Bennett defended his clash with Marchand.
“Obviously in this game I’m not trying to hit him in the head like everyone says,” Bennett told the NHL on TNT team on Sunday. “Other people may have different opinions. I'm just preparing for him to hit me. There was no way I would have had time to think about hitting him in the head. People can see it however they want.
“It’s playoff hockey. There will be tough games. Of course it’s unfortunate that he got hit, but for me it’s just a hockey game.”
The Bruins travel back to Florida to face the Panthers in Game 5 on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The return of Marchand — who leads Boston in playoff scoring with 10 points in 10 games — would supply a significant boost to a desperate Boston squad.
image credit : www.boston.com