As the Boston Bruins prepare for a crucial Game 4 against the Florida Panthers, Coach Jim Montgomery shared updates during his pre-game press conference, particularly focusing on captain Brad Marchand's status and the team's planned response to his injury.
Marchand, sidelined after a controversial hit from Sam Bennett during Game 3, will not be playing tonight and is listed as day-to-day. Montgomery was clear in his criticism of the hit, saying,
"It's outside the lines, he knew what he was doing."
He also acknowledged the team should have responded more assertively at the moment.
Teammates Pavel Zacha and Trent Frederic are gearing up to ramp up the physical play in retaliation. Zacha conveyed his frustration, saying,
"To go after our captain, that's not okay with us. We're ready to be a little bit harder on them," highlighting the team's resolve. Frederic emphasized the collective effort, "It's going to be all of us as a group... we're going to have to step up."
With Marchand out, Montgomery hinted at an aggressive strategy for tonight's game:
"We have to really go after their top guys. To let them know it's not OK."
Tonight's game is set to be intensely competitive, with the Bruins determined to even the series and make a strong statement against the Panthers' aggressive play.