‘Incredible Speech’ From Defenseman Inspired Bruins Before Game 7

Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk only received 10:29 of ice time — the fewest among the defensive corps — in Boston’s thrilling Game 7 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden.

But Shattenkirk’s biggest contribution perhaps came before the puck was even dropped Saturday night.

With the Bruins making the unusual decision to stay at a hotel the night before the home game, Shattenkirk delivered a well-timed speech that resonated with his teammates and got them prepared for the pressure-packed, winner-take-all situation.

“We were together (Friday) night, it’s not a secret,” Marchand told reporters following Boston’s 2-1 overtime win, per Eric Russo of Bruins.com. “We watched video, we met as a group and (Shattenkirk) gave the group an incredible speech that really allowed us to kind of settle down and understand where we’re at and how we had to play and what we needed to believe to get the job done.

“We woke up (Saturday) morning, you could just see within the group that we knew that everybody was going to bring their best game and everyone was going to do their job, so there was a confidence throughout the group (Saturday) morning and you felt it. You could see it on guys faces, and it didn’t seem like anyone was nervous.”

Shattenkirk is only in his first season with the Bruins, but his playoff credentials certainly are respected in Boston’s locker room. Shattenkirk has 91 playoff games under his belt and is just one of three current Bruins players — joining Marchand and Pat Maroon — who have won a Stanley Cup title, doing so in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Marchand wasn’t the only one who saw value in Shattenkirk’s words. Maroon also lauded Shattenkirk and the impact that the speech had on the Bruins.

“I think (Shattenkirk) did an amazing job,” Maroon told reporters Saturday, per Russo. “There’s a reason why he’s won before, his leadership, his voice carries. I think the biggest thing he touched on was you don’t have regrets when you go and lay down your head after the game…believing in yourself and the guy beside you and just the group…he did an amazing job and it touched a lot of people. His leadership goes a long way. That’s why he’s been in this league for so long.”