Why Jim Montgomery Pulled Brad Marchand From Pre-Playoff Practice

Brad Marchand was not a full participant in one of the Bruins’ last tune-up sessions before the start of their Stanley Cup playoff run.

But fear not, Boston fans. It doesn’t sound like you have anything to worry about as it relates to the Bruins’ first-line left wing.

Marchand was on the ice to start Saturday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena, but he eventually ended his day as Jim Montgomery turned up the intensity. Montgomery, who made a point to hold a “hard practice” before the Bruins’ playoff opener, explained why Marchand hit the showers early.

“Marchy wanted to give it a try today. He had a little bit of soreness, so I said, ‘Get off the ice,'” Montgomery told reporters, per the team. “And we knew it was going to be hard practice. So, we’re very cautious, even Grizzy (Matt Grzelcyk) is a little sore, so he didn’t partake in the scrimmage portion of it. It’s just precautionary.”

The scrimmage portion was instituted by Montgomery mostly as a trial run for Nick Foligno and Derek Forbort, both of whom are on injured reserve and haven’t played in a game in over a month. The Bruins head coach wanted to see how both players fared in a game-like setting, as well as how their bodies responded the day after the exhibition.

Time will tell what Boston’s lines and defensive pairings look like in totality for Monday night’s game against the Florida Panthers. But it sure seems like Marchand will be ready to go for the first-round series opener at TD Garden.

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