Panthers at Bruins, Game 4: Marchand Out, Boston Expected to Retaliate

BOSTON — Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand will not play tonight in Game 4 against the Florida Panthers after sustaining a suspected concussion in a collision with Sam Bennett they say was over the line.

The Panthers should expect a pretty angry Bruins bunch tonight.

Bruins coach Jim Montgomery made that much very clear, and took personal responsibility for his squad not fighting back after the play.

“I feel it’s my fault that we didn’t retaliate to some degree,” Montgomery said. “But you’re trying to get back in the game. It’s 1-0 up until they get the four-minute power play. Then we start the third and we score right away. Now we’ve got juices going. There’s reasons why we didn’t. That’s something I personally take responsibility for.”

Montgomery also wanted to clarify that he did not say Bennett’s hit was dirty.

But…

“I just thought it was outside the lines,’’ Montgomery said Sunday morning. “I think it’s someone that plays the game on the edge. And he knew what he was doing. I don’t know if you’ve seen the picture from behind. But there’s clearly… he loaded up.”

Montgomery did not give an answer on whether the injury Marchand sustained was a concussion when pressed on it by the Boston media.

Montgomery has been stewing over the matter for the past couple of days, calling out Bennett for ’punching’ Marchand and insinuating that it was intentional.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice sees it differently.

No, no,” Maurice said Saturday. “I don’t think most of you would have either. It was just a collision. In a perfect world, everyone has everyone healthy. No one likes seeing anyone get hurt.”

That was where the discussion stopped on that play in the Florida room, and the focus shifted to taking a 3-1 series lead over the Bruins on Sunday.

”We’re only thinking about the game,” captain Sasha Barkov said. “We don’t think about the score of the series. All we want to do is come ready to play right from the start and right from the first shift. That’s our goal.”

If the Bruins do try anything to up the ante physically, it wouldn’t be the first time they’ve done it this series.

Marchand and Charlie Coyle both tried to fight Barkov off the opening face-off in Game 3 and he just shrugged it off.

“I don’t know,” Barkov said of the incident and Boston’s antics to try to get under their skin.

“Of course, for both teams, in the playoffs it’s a tight game, a tight battle. Everyone is trying to do their best to get under your skin and play as hard as possible.”

Panthers-Bruins Game 4 Notes

Sergei Bobrovsky will start in net for the Panthers while the rest of the Florida lineup will also remain the same as Game 3, per coach Paul Maurice.

Montgomery did not name a starting goalie during his pre-game media availability. Linus Ullmark took the ice for their morning skate while Jeremy Swayman did not.

Florida will roll out the same lineup for Game 4; Boston, obviously, is changing some things up.