"I think he thrives in those kind of situations," said Tuukka Rask, who made 22 saves to help force a decisive seventh game back in Boston on Tuesday night. "He takes pride in the leadership role that he has on our team, on and off the ice. He really wants to go out there and be a leader."
That he was.
Both of Marchand's goals exemplified exactly the kind of commitment required to stave off elimination. On each tally, the winger had to maneuver through traffic and fend off Toronto defenders to win away loose pucks - the first in the midst of a faceoff scrum and the second with the Maple Leafs, their net empty, pushing for the equalizer.
"He's gonna step up," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "You can tell, if you're around players long enough, when they've got that little extra. Clearly he's not ready to have it end. I think Tuesday you'll see a lot more of that. That's just who he is, that's how he's become one of the elite players in the league.
"Just look at the empty-net goal. He out-battled, out-willed, one or two guys for that puck. Just typical Marchy. He had to fight to get inside ice on that face-off to get his shot off. He goes to another level. Most of the good ones do this time of year."