The Boston Bruins were unable to overturn their defeat from the 2023 season against the Florida Panthers, once again falling short in the 2024 NHL playoffs and losing the second-round series 4-2.
Despite the return of Bruins captain Brad Marchand for Game 6 after missing two games due to an “upper-body” injury, Boston suffered a 2-1 loss to the Panthers at TD Garden.
Marchand, addressing the media before Game 6 on May 16, discussed the incident involving Sam Bennett’s sucker punch that sidelined him for Games 4 and 5. Following the Game 6 defeat, Marchand revealed his return from injury was not without contention with team doctors.
While Marchand did not explicitly mention in NESN’s postgame availability video, Steve Buckley of The Athletic reported on May 18 that Marchand admitted to “fighting” with doctors to return for Game 6.
Marchand disclosed that doctors ultimately prevailed in keeping him out for two games (and one period) as he recovered from a potential concussion, despite his attempts to hasten his return.
The decision to return early, Marchand justified, was driven by his hockey legacy and the desire to contribute to the team’s playoff campaign, even if it meant not fully disclosing his health status.
As the newly appointed team captain for the Bruins in the 2024 season following Patrice Bergeron’s retirement, Marchand, at 36, acknowledged the importance of sacrificing for playoff success and cherishing every moment of the postseason journey, regardless of the outcome.
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