BOSTON – Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchant will miss Game 4 with an upper body injury. Coach Jim Montgomery characterized Marchant day by day. Montgomery declined to answer whether Marchand suffered a concussion.
The Bruins believe Marchand was injured by Sam Bennett during a first-period collision in Game 3. A slow-motion video replay shows Bennett punching Marchand in the head with his right hand. Marchand played two seasons but did not return for a third.
Marchant appeared to be in some pain after taking a hit from Bennett. pic.twitter.com/MWsczrMDOU
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 10, 2024
“I think it makes everybody angry,” Trent Frederick said of Bennett’s punch and its aftermath. “To be honest, I think this whole team makes everybody tick. There are certain individuals, frankly, that make guys so frustrated, and even maddened. Maybe it’s frustration. You still have to go out and do the work. We are still 2-1 down and trying to make it 2-2.
Bennett was not penalized for the play and was not subject to secondary discipline.
“I don’t think I’d classify it as dirty,” Montgomery said Sunday following the Bruins’ favorite morning skate. “I thought it was out of bounds. I think it’s someone who plays on the edge. And he knows what he’s doing. I don’t know if you’ve seen the film from behind. But it’s clear… he loaded up.
The Bruins had no answer during the game at Bennett. Little did they know that the center had thrown a punch.
“I feel like it was my fault that we didn’t get some revenge,” Montgomery said. “But you try to get back into the game. It’s 1-0 until they get a four-minute power play. Then we start the third and we score right away. Now we have juice. There are reasons why we didn’t do it. I take personal responsibility for it.
The Bruins may ask Bennett to respond to what happened in Game 4. If so, it’s unclear whether Bennett will have the green light to respond. In Game 2, David Pastrnak accepted Matthew Tkachuk’s challenge to fight.
“There may be a time in the game when that happens,” Frederick said. “It’s something we can talk about. It’s a 2-1 series. We have to be smart, too. We’ve already given them too many power plays. Try to limit it and do it smart.
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(Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
