The Boston Bruins are facing a steep challenge in the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Bruins are down 2-1 to the Florida Panthers after a tough 6-2 Game 3 loss on Friday night. To make matters worse, Boston received an unfortunate Brad Marchand injury update after their defeat.
Marchand is being evaluated day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and it is uncertain if he will play in Game 4 at TD Garden on Sunday, per NHL.com. He did not practice Saturday following Friday’s loss.
Marchand took a hit from Panthers forward Sam Bennett early in the first period and was slow to return to the bench. Marchand played the rest of the first and second periods but sat out the third. Head coach Jim Montgomery reflected on Marchand’s injury play with skepticism.
“My eyes weren’t on the exact play [in real time], but having seen it, there’s a history there,” Montgomery said on Saturday. “Bennett: Good, hard player, but there’s clearly evidence of what went on. People can say it wasn’t intentional. We have our view of it.”
Hopefully, Brad Marchand will undergo a speedy recovery from his injury. The 36-year-old has played an important role in the Bruins’ 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs run. Marchand has amassed three goals, seven assists, and 10 points during the postseason.
Losing the veteran forward hurts the Bruins’ chances against the Panthers; yet, the team can rely on others to pick up the slack in his absence.
Mason Loheri and Pavel Zacha led Boston to their first victory over Florida in Game 1. Loheri tallied one goal, one assist, and two points, while Zacha finished with two assists and two points in May 6th’s 5-1 win. If they can heat up in Game 4, Boston should be able to hold its own.
Bruins look to make adjustments for pivotal Game 4 vs. Panthers
Jim Montgomery is not taking Boston’s Game 3 loss lightly. He shouldered the responsibility for his team’s subpar offensive showing on Friday night.
“We’ve had a couple of games where we started slow,” Montgomery said, via ESPN. “We haven’t generated much offense. I have to give the players a better plan. Florida was significantly better than us. I’ve got to come up with a better gameplan.”
Part of Boston’s lack of production was due to Florida’s stifling defense. The Bruins were able to get some shots off, but the goal would not cooperate.
Nevertheless, Boston is not leaving their improvement solely up to Coach Montgomery. Jake DeBrusk emphasized that he and his teammates must take it upon themselves to make adjustments.
“We’re the ones that are out there. We’re the ones that are playing the game. He can put any plan that he thinks it’s going to help us out, but we’ve got to execute,” DeBrusk said, via ESPN. “It’s about making the right one or making the right decisions and obviously we didn’t do that. Against a team like that, you have to play a pretty perfect game. And the last two games you’ve seen what happens when we don’t.”
The Bruins are in a hole, but if they have what it takes to rally and turn things around in a pivotal Game 4 against the Panthers.
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