Brad Marchand: Bennett ‘Got Away With One; Not Complaining’

FORT LAUDERDALE — Boston captain Brad Marchand spoke for the first time since being hurt in Game 3 after colliding with Florida forward Sam Bennett, saying he felt Bennett “got away with one” when asked if he thought the punch was a cheap shot.

Marchand, who is known for getting “away with one” throughout his career, practiced Thursday and could be back in the Bruins lineup for Game 6 on Friday after missing the past two games against the Panthers.

“That’s part of playoff hockey,’’ Marchand told reporters in Boston when asked about Bennett.

“You know, I have been on the other side of a lot of plays and, I think he got away with one. But that’s part of the game, definitely part of playoff hockey. It sucks to be on the other side of it, but that stuff happens.

“I’m not going to sit here and complain about it, that’s part of the game. But, yeah, I think he got away with one. But it is what it is.”

Bennett, who returned to the Florida lineup in Game 3 after missing two-plus weeks with a fractured hand, did not participate in practice Thursday in Fort Lauderdale.

Neither did Sam Reinhart, who caught a puck in the face during Game 4.

Both players, Florida’s Paul Maurice said, will play Friday night in Boston.

Maurice joked he tried to get captain Sasha Barkov to take the day off but he would not do so.

As for Marchand, who is suspected to have sustained a concussion in Game 3, he continued to say that Bennett “getting away with one” was part of the playoffs.

“I know people don’t want to say it, but part of the playoffs is trying to hurt every player on the other team,’’ Marchand said. “The more guys you take out, the more advantage your team has. People don’t say that, but that’s just a fact of the game. So, every time you step on the ice, someone is trying to hurt someone. That’s just how it goes in the playoffs.

“Anytime you have an advantage to help your team win. That’s part of the advantage of having a physical group. That’s why you see teams do the distance with a big D corps and physical teams. It’s why you rarely see teams that are small and skilled go far because they get hurt.’’

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STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

FLORIDA PANTHERS (ATL1) V. BOSTON BRUINS (ATL2)

FLORIDA LEADS BEST-OF-7 SERIES 3-2

GAME 6

• When: Friday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Boston Garden
• National TV: TNT
• Streaming: HBO Max
• 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: Boston 5, @Florida 1; Game 2: @Florida 6, Boston 1; Game 3: Florida 6, @Boston 2; Game 4: Florida 3, @Boston 2; Game 5: Boston 2, @Florida 1; Game 6: Friday 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
• 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)