Just In: Coach Offers One-Word Response On Brutal Punch At Brad Marchand

The biggest talking point following Friday’s Game 3 between the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins was the latter’s humiliation for the second time in as many games, losing 6-2.

On Saturday, May 11, prior of Game 4, the storyline shifted completely, with all attention focused on the hit Panthers’ Sam Bennett delivered on Bruins captain Brad Marchand.

Man, shame we didn’t pick up a sucker punch. Let’s hope Marchand isn’t dealing with a concussion. Would be a shame to have missed something like this in a highly scrutinized game @NHLPlayerSafety @RearAdBsBlog @MikeGrinnell_ pic.twitter.com/mbbhWtoNtF

— TD, Esq. (@to_do_82) May 11, 2024

However, Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice saw nothing improper with Bennett’s actions against Marchand because he did not see his player punching the Bruin on purpose.

“No,” Maurice told reporters after practice on Saturday, May 11, via The Athletic’s Michael Russo, when asked if he saw Bennett throw a punch at Marchand. “I don’t believe most of you would either.

“It was just a collision. In a perfect world, every team has everybody healthy. Nobody likes to see anybody hurt.”

Panthers & Bruins Have Different Opinions On Bennett’s Hit

Marchand went to the ice after being hit by Bennett in what appeared to be a basic shoulder/back hit from the Panthers player. The Bruins forward walked to the bench, but he returned to skate in the same first period and for the entire second period.

Marchand was ruled out for the third period by the Bruins, and he did not skate a single shift in the last 20 minutes of the Game 3 loss to Florida. On Saturday, May 11, Marchand was also absent from practice, reported as “day-to-day” with a “upper-body” ailment.

“People can say it wasn’t intentional, but we have our view of it.”

Jim Montgomery‘s full comments on the Sam Bennett-Brad Marchand collision that injured the Bruins captain. pic.twitter.com/1sgAehh4QH

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 11, 2024

Talking to media following Saturday’s practice, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery brought Bennett’s sucker punch to the table before Maurice took the stage later in the day, and his reaction was the reverse of his fellow coach.

“In real-time, I gotta be honest, my eyes weren’t on there as the puck had left that area,” Montgomery told reporters on May 11. “But after seeing it, there is a history with Bennett.

“Hard player, but there is clear evidence of what happened. People can argue that it wasn’t purposeful, but we have our own perspective.

Between Montgomery and Maurice’s press appearances, league insiders indicated that the NHL will not sanction Bennett or suspend him for the hit on Marchand, regardless of whether it was a sucker punch.

Panthers Win Back-to-Back Games Against Bruins, Lead 2-1

Game 4 is critical for the Bruins, who began their second-round series against the Panthers with a 1-0 lead before losing Games 2 and 3 and trailing 1-2 heading into Sunday’s game.

The fate of Marchand (3 goals, 7 assists, 10 points in the Stanley Cup playoffs) for Game 4 is unknown, as the Bruins have not offered any additional information on his availability for Sunday’s game.

Marchand did not practice with the team on Saturday, and if he has a concussion, he is a virtual scratch for Game 4 and possibly the entire series, which will last from this weekend until the end of next week if the series goes the full seven games.

Coach Montgomery chastised himself, accepting full responsibility for his team’s 6-2 loss in Game 3.

“I don’t believe we’re on top of our game. “Our execution in the last two games has simply not been good enough,” Montgomery told reporters on May 10. “That’s my fault, I’ve got to be better.”

The Panthers’ first goal of Game 3 came from Evan Rodrigues, and Vladimir Tarasenko and Carter Verhaeghe added two more in the second period. Brandon Montour scored Florida’s fourth uncontested goal early in the third period.

The Bruins appeared to be on their way to a comeback with two goals from Jakub Lauko and Jake DeBrusk, bringing the score to 4-2, but the Panthers scored again (Sam Reinhart and Rodrigues) following those goals, completing their 6-2 onslaught.