The Panthers had a chance to put away the Bruins on Tuesday night, but Boston battled for a 2-1 Game 5 win to extend the series.
Game 6 isn’t until Friday, so both teams will have some extra time to prepare and get some added rest. For the Bruins, they’re hopeful to get Brad Marchand — who’s missed the last two games with an upper-body injury — back into the lineup. The Panthers, meanwhile, will take all the added rest they can get.
It’s good for both teams. … We play a very, very hard game and it’s gonna help. We’re not the youngest team in some areas. So, we’ll take that,” Paul Maurice told reporters after the loss. “… It’s gonna be an absolute barn burner in (TD Garden). There’ll be 18,000 cameras on the morning skate just to see how many sips of the water bottle Brad Marchand takes.”
Marchand’s status has been a big storyline since Sam Bennett laid a questionable hit on Boston’s captain in Game 3. The Panthers forward didn’t receive a penalty nor any supplemental discipline from the NHL. Marchand skated Monday morning before the team he traveled with the team to Sunrise, Fla. He wasn’t an option for the do-or-die Game 5, but his status is unknown for Game 6.
The extra rest might be beneficial in Marchand’s recovery in getting him back on the ice. The Bruins will still have their backs against the wall Friday, but getting the captain back into the lineup might give them an added boost.
Even though he wasn’t on the ice for Tuesday’s win, Marchand hyped up his teammates before the puck dropped, while his jersey remained in his stall in the locker room for the entire game. He also gave a speech to the Bruins before they hit the ice.
“His leadership, even when he’s not dressed — he’s still in here, he’s still leading,” Charlie Coyle told reporters. “And he does what he can to help the team in whatever way possible.”
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