Marchand Returns to Practice, Hopeful to Play in Game 6

BOSTON – Brad Marchand was back at practice on Thursday morning at Warrior Ice Arena to join his teammates as they prepared for a do-or-die Game 6. With Boston facing a 3-2 series deficit in its second-round matchup against the Panthers, the Bruins’ captain could be on the verge of returning to the lineup after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury.

“I will say, he looked good, but he's got boxes to check,” said coach Jim Montgomery. “Day-to-day. We had the extra day which is beneficial for all of our players with bumps and bruises that they have. We will know more [Friday].”

Marchand said he is hopeful to be back on the ice on Friday night at TD Garden as the Bruins look to stave off elimination once again.

“Hopefully, yeah. Just going through the steps and we’ll see how [Friday] goes, but hopefully,” said Marchand. “It’s very tough to watch this time of year. You want to be part of it. It was great to get back out there and be around the energy and the emotion and be out there with the guys.”

Should Marchand be able to suit up for Game 6, Montgomery said the boost that would give the Bruins is immeasurable.

“You can't put a number on it percentage wise, you can't put a number on it emotionally,” said Montgomery. “He's our leader, he’s our captain, he's our heart and soul. How do you put a number on that?”

Marchand’s return to practice provided its own spark for the group on Friday morning.

“It’s great to see him out there. He looks awesome. We’ve spoken at length about what he means to our team and the energy that he brings. It’s gonna be great to have him back,” said alternate captain Charlie McAvoy.

“I think it’s gonna be wild [Friday night]. Our fans are passionate, they’re awesome, and they love him. If he can go [Friday], I think it’ll be pretty loud and exciting. We’re counting on them to help us [in Game 6].”

Marchand put his leadership on full display in Game 5, despite not being in the lineup. The Boston captain traveled with the team to Florida and was a presence in the dressing room throughout the day, including just before puck drop and in between periods.

“It was more of just wanting to be part of it,” said Marchand. “Like I said, it’s very tough to watch this time of year, and not being involved…it’s extremely stressful watching. I wanted to be in there with the guys and be a part of it. It helps when you’re not playing to be in there and be in the room with the guys and be able to talk through it all with them… just trying to stay involved.”

In a show of support, the Bruins left Marchand’s jersey hanging in his stall throughout the night. Marchand very much appreciated the gesture.

“I mean, I love this group,” he said. “I love every guy on the team and I think moments like this just show how close we get and how much we mean to one another. There’s a lot of different things that happen on and off the ice throughout the year that aren’t known that just show how close of a group we have. You don’t get this everywhere.

“I think that’s part of what makes us all very grateful to be part of this team and organization is how we bond on and off of the ice. I’m grateful for each day with this group and this team and being part of it, and it’s the guys that make it special.”

When it comes to Game 6, Marchand said the players are embracing the moment – and the adversity that comes along with it.

“I mean, this is what we play for,” said Marchand. “This is why we started playing hockey. We want to live our dreams…it’s to try to win a Cup. We’re in Stanley Cup playoffs, we’re fighting for our lives, so guys are excited about that. There’s no ‘poor me’ attitude in this room. It’s a great opportunity, and whether it goes our way or not, we’re going to leave everything we have on the ice and enjoy the moment.

“You never know when you’re going to be in the second round of playoffs ever again…it may happen, it may not. You’ve got to enjoy the moment and be grateful for it, and I think our group is.”

Thoughts on the Hit

Marchand was open and honest with his thoughts surrounding the hit that has sidelined him for the past two games. In the early going of Game 3, Marchand took a hard right hand to the side of the head from Florida’s Sam Bennett as the two came together in front of the benches.

While Marchand continued to play after the hit, he later left the game following the second period.

“[Bennett] plays hard. He’s an extremely physical player, great player for their group. I think he got away with a shot,” said Marchand. “But I’m not going to complain. [Expletive] happens. You know, that’s especially part of playoff hockey. I’ve been on the other side of a lot of plays…I think he got away with one. But that’s part of the game, and it’s definitely part of playoff hockey.

“Yeah, it sucks to be on the other side of it, but that stuff happens so I’m not going to sit here and complain about it. That’s part of the game. But yeah, I think he got away with one. But it is what it is.”

Marchand went on to say that he believes if the reverse angle that was revealed on the TNT pregame show ahead of Game 4 was made available earlier, it may have led to disciplinary action against Bennett.

“I think it would’ve been a different story if that camera angle came out a couple of days before, but it is what it is,” said Marchand. “It doesn’t matter at the end of the day. That’s the way it’s set up and stuff like that happens. There’s just missed calls and missed situations, but that’s part of it.”

Ultimately, Marchand said, the physical nature of playoff hockey inevitably leads to injuries.

“Again, that’s part of the game. It’s part of playoffs,” said Marchand. “People don’t want to say it, but part of playoffs is trying to hurt every player on the other team, and the more guys you take out, the more advantage your team has. People don’t say that, but that’s just a fact of the game…every time you step out on the ice, someone is trying to hurt someone. That’s just how it goes in playoffs.

“Any time you can get an advantage on a team, it’s going to help your team win. And that’s part of the benefit of having a physical group. You see teams go the distance with a big D corps and physical teams, and that’s why you rarely see teams that are small and skilled go far because they get hurt. That’s part of it.”

Knowing that, Marchand added that he was “not going to complain” about getting injured.

“I mean, [Bennett’s] a competitor,” said Marchand. “Guys on that team, they compete hard and they play the way…I mean, that’s the way you want your guys to play in playoffs. That’s the way that teams that win usually play and that’s how we’ve been playing. We play hard. When that happens, guys get caught sometimes, and sometimes guys get hurt. I’m not going to complain about it. It is what it is. That’s playoff hockey. That’s what makes winning a Cup so hard to do, what makes it so gratifying. You’ve got to play through situations like this and you’ve got to be able to go through the adversity.

“We went through it the year we won, with [Nathan Horton] going down and other guys getting hurt…you come out of it. It’s how you respond as a team and bounce back from this stuff. That’s playoff hockey – and maybe people don’t like it…but it’s not soccer, it’s not basketball…it’s the hardest trophy to win…you’re playing and you’re willing to sacrifice your body and willing to hurt other guys and do whatever it takes to win.

“If you don’t like it, don’t play in playoffs. It’s the best time of year and if I have to get hurt to win, if I have to hurt someone to win…I don’t care. That’s part of it, and I’m not going to complain. If I’m him, I’m doing the same thing. So, I’m not going to complain. That’s the game and that’s how you win.”

Wait, There’s More

• McAvoy on the team’s mindset ahead of Game 6: "Can't wait. Great day today, great practice today. Another chance tomorrow to continue our season…emotions and momentum in playoffs, it’s a funny thing. You want to stay even-keel, but you certainly need good things to happen in order to pick up your morale and we made that happen down in Florida. We know what’s in front of us tomorrow at home. In a great position to keep this thing going, to keep our season alive. And we can’t wait for the opportunity.”
• Montgomery on how valuable it was to have a full practice today: “I think it's really important, because when we practiced between Games 3 and 4, we were able to work on things, and everybody gets repetitions added. Repetition creates muscle memory, it creates quicker thinking, and I think we've seen that. We saw it translate in Game 4 and it really translated in Game 5. We see ourselves getting better, and you have to throughout the series. I said it in the Toronto series, I’ll say it in this series: you’ve got to get better because that's the way you win a series.”
• Montgomery on how much he thought the two days in between Games 5 and 6 were needed: “This is the time in the series where you want it, because no one's playing at 100% on either team. That's what happens in the playoffs. That's why it's so hard…with the extra day, everyone is going to have more juice. I think tomorrow night is going to be a frantic start.”
• Montgomery on if the team considered staying in a hotel on Thursday night: “We’ve considered…we've considered every option…for us, there's a difference between being able to reset with two days in between than one. There's a big significance. We get to meet more with two days off. So, in the short term, you really worry, are they going to be able to reset quick that quickly. There’s a difference there.”
• Montgomery on if he sees the confidence grow within his team after each game and each practice: “I think there's no doubt we're getting more confident. Saw it in Game 4, translated it more in Game 5. I just expect it to grow in Game 6.”
• Montgomery on meeting with the power-play units about the team’s struggles on the man advantage: “We did, I thought it went really well. Players gave feedback, we gave them some feedback, we met in the middle, and I thought the power play looked a lot better out there today.”