Brad Marchand was forced to veer a little outside his ideal comfort zone Friday night in Florida.
With Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci out for Game 3 of the Bruins-Panthers first-round Stanley Cup playoff series, Marchand was the de-facto captain for Boston’s first road game this postseason. Marchand and company didn’t miss a beat without the two veteran centers, notching a 4-2 win at FLA Live Arena to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven set.
Although Marchand looked unfazed with more on his plate, he acknowledged the demanding nature of being the Bruins’ foremost leader.
“I definitely feel a little more pressure in that leadership standpoint,” Marchand told reporters Saturday, per a team-provided video. “When they’re around, I definitely feel a lot more comfortable just kind of being in my role. When they’re not, it’s hard to fill that void. They’re two incredible leaders on and off the ice.”
Fortunately for Marchand, he doesn’t have to lead the club on his own. The 14th-year pro tipped his cap to Bruins teammates who helped keep the ship on a steady course without Bergeron and Krejci.
“It definitely falls on the rest of us that are kind of stepping into that role here to try to take over and lead a little bit more by example and take control of that room,” Marchand told reporters. “But it helps guys like Fliggy (Nick Foligno), who’s been captain before, and Chucky McAvoy is trying to take that next step to be a good leader. Especially helps having him back in the D core to do that. You do it by committee, that’s why you see guys like (Charlie) Coyle step up. Pasta (David Pastrnak) had a big night, (Taylor) Hall had a big night. When you do it by committee, it makes it a lot easier to fill that void, but definitely feel more pressure in that instance.”
Marchand might have to deal with that added pressure again Sunday, as Bergeron isn’t scheduled to play until Wednesday and Krejci is “questionable” for Game 4. But if Friday night was any indication, the two-time All-Star and his teammates will rise to the occasion.
NESN’s full coverage of Bruins-Panthers Game 4 begins at 2 p.m. ET.
