Brad Marchand was not with the Bruins on Sunday night, but he did join Boston for its latest road trip.
Marchand was out of the lineup for the Bruins’ loss to the Panthers in Game 4 of the rivals’ second-round Stanley Cup playoff series due to an upper-body injury. Boston’s captain sustained the ailment last Friday when he was the victim of a rough hit from Sam Bennett, who appeared to sneak in a punch up high near the benches at TD Garden.
The two-time All-Star’s availability for the remainder of the best-of-seven set remains unclear. However, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney revealed Marchand skated Monday morning and traveled with the team to Florida for Tuesday night’s Game 5 at Amerant Bank Arena, per The Boston Globe’s Conor Ryan.
It should be noted that Marchand joining Boston for the trip to the Sunshine State doesn’t necessarily mean he will suit up for the club’s must-win game. For instance, defenseman Derek Forbort traveled with the Bruins to Toronto in Round 1 as he neared a return from injury but didn’t play in any games against the Maple Leafs. That said, Marchand heading to Florida seemingly is an indication that he’s trending in the right direction.
The Bruins and the Panthers will drop the puck at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.
