Until the TNT pregame team arrived on Sunday evening, we had not seen the opposite view of the incident between Florida’s Sam Bennett and Boston captain Brad Marchand.
Now we do.
The reverse view demonstrates that, yes, the Boston Bruins have every right to be furious with Bennett, as he clearly smacks Marchand in the face while following through on the reversal hit.
Tonight’s TNT telecast is on TBS.
Marchand is out for Game 4, likely with a concussion.
Army, Ace and Biz went back to the tape on the shot Sam Bennett gave to Brad Marchand in Game 3 and they got some thoughts 👀 @armdog @ansoncarterla @biznasty2point0 pic.twitter.com/kqJRr2px5V
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) May 12, 2024
During his media conference on Saturday, Boston coach Jim Montgomery brought the hit to everyone’s notice, and he emphasized it again on Sunday.
Prior to seeing the reverse viewpoint, it appeared like Bennett and Marchand collided after Marchand attempted to hit Bennett, who took the brunt of the hit.
“I just thought it was outside the lines,” Montgomery explained on Sunday. “I believe it’s someone who plays the game at the edge. He understood exactly what he was doing. I’m not sure if you’ve seen the photo from behind. However, it is evident that he has loaded up.
The Bruins, who definitely noticed the new viewpoint, were unhappy and demanded that the Panthers pay for it.
“I believe we need to really go after their top guys,” Pavel Zacha told reporters. “Tell them it’s not okay to go after our captain. That does not sit well with us. We’re ready to go physical again today and be a little tougher on them.
Trent Frederic stated, “I think it irritated off everyone. To be honest, I believe the entire team frustrates everyone.
Sergei Bobrovsky will play in net for Florida tonight, while Jeremy Swayman returns for the Bruins.
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
FLORIDA PANTHERS (ATL1) V. BOSTON BRUINS (ATL2)
FLORIDA LEADS BEST-OF-7 SERIES TIED 2-1
* Game 4 on Sunday at 6:30 *
GAME 5
- When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
- Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
- National TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+/Hulu
- Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (West Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); WCZR 101.7-FM (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL app
- Series Schedule — Game 1: Bruins 5, Panthers 1; Game 2: Panthers 6, Bruins 1; Game 3: Panthers 6, Bruins 2; Game 4: Sunday at Boston, 6:30 (TBS); Game 5: Tuesday at Florida, 7 (ESPN); Game 6*:Friday May 17 at Boston, TBA; Game 7*: Sunday May 19 at Florida TBA. (*) – If Necessary
- How They Got Here: Florida d. Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1; Boston d. Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3
- Florida’s First Round — Game 1: Panthers 3, Tampa Bay 2; Game 2: Florida 3, Tampa Bay 2 OT; Game 3: Panthers 5, Tampa Bay 3; Game 4: Tampa Bay 6, Panthers 3; Game 5: Panthers 6, Tampa Bay 1.
- Last Season vs. Boston — Regular Season: Tied 2-2; Playoffs: Florida won 4-3 (first-round)
- This Season (Bruins 4-0) — At Boston: Bruins 3, Panthers 2 OT (Oct.30); Bruins 3, Panthers 2 OT (Ap. 6). At Florida: Bruins 3, Panthers 1 (Nov. 22); Bruins 4, Panthers 3 (March 26).
- All-time Regular Season Series: Boston leads 64-37-7, 6 ties
- All-time Postseason Series: Florida leads 2-0 (1996 1st, 2023 1st)
