Brad Marchand Reveals Mindset For Bruins Heading Into Final Stretch

The Boston Bruins had a record-setting season in 2022-23, but it ended abruptly when the Florida Panthers defeated the Black and Gold in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Following the postseason upset, the Bruins were the subject of unfavorable expectations entering the 2023-24 season. Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci announced retirement over the summer, along with a mass exodus of trade deadline talent Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitri Orlov and Garnet Hathaway due to salary cap restraints.

General manager Don Sweeney worked his magic to build the roster with players like James van Riemsdyk, Morgan Geekie and Kevin Shattenkirk, who complemented the existing core of Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Charlie Coyle and Hampus Lindholm.

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The Bruins exceeded expectations by clinching a Stanley Cup Playoff berth for the eighth consecutive season. It is the first of many goals the B’s set for themselves — earning one of the 16 playoff spots.

“We did a great job of accomplishing that first goal,” Marchand told reporters on Friday, per team-provided video. “Now, eight games left, we need to continue to climb and fine-tune our game so that we are prepared come playoff time.”

Marchand added the players should be proud of what they accomplished in the regular-season so far, but simply making a postseason appearance will not be good enough for the Bruins captain.

“I think we need to be proud of that first step,” he said. “We came together really well. This year, we battled through a lot of adversity, a lot of changes in our lineup. We have to be proud of that fact, but we can’t get complacent.

“That’s not what we set out to do. Start of the year, that’s part of the goal, it’s not the whole goal. There’s still a lot we need to accomplish this year and that’s one step of the way. So, definitely happy about it. We got where we needed to be and now it’s about getting further.”

Even though their ticket has been punched, Marchand said the Bruins still have plenty of work to do in the remaining eight regular-season games.

“(We have) a big job to do before (starting the playoffs) to kind of finish out the seeding,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity ahead of us to prepare for the dance.”

The Bruins’ overall record is 42-17-15. With 99 points, Boston holds a two-point lead over the Panthers in the Atlantic Division as of Friday night, but the Black and Gold have struggled as of late losing three of its last five games.

“We thrive when we play a certain way,” Marchand said. “And when we get away from that, we’re a team that can be beaten.”

Marchand added: “I think the next eight games are our biggest challenge and what we need to fine-tune is make sure we put that game on the ice every single night. Regardless of how tired we are, the travel or who we’re playing. It’s about preparing the same way each night.”

The Bruins continue their six-game road trip on Saturday night when they take on the Washington Capitals. The Capitals hold the second-wild-card spot in the East, trailing the Philadelphia Flyers by one point in the Metropolitan Division.

Marchand knows teams like the Capitals will bring their best game even though their playoff position is not set. The Bruins captain said the Bruins need to be ready.

“Come playoff time, you can’t just flip a switch and you’d be ready. There’s a lot of teams that are fighting for their lives right now and playing really well,” Marchand said. “If you don’t have that same mindset, you’re gonna get caught off guard a couple of times. So it’s about making sure that each day you come prepared to play and don’t get complacent.”

Puck drop for the Bruins-Capitals contest from Capital One Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, following an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.