Paul Maurice pushes back on Brad Marchand’s controversial comments
Right before Game 6:
Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand made headlines on Thursday when he said that he thought Sam Bennett got away with one on a hit that injured him in Game 3 but how he would have done the same to the Panthers’ forward since in the postseason, “everyone on the ice is attempting to hurt everyone else on the ice.”
“I think he got away with a shot, but I’m not going to complain because (expletive) happens. It’s part of playoff hockey. I’ve been on the other side of a lot of plays, and I think he got away with one, but that’s part of the game — and definitely part of playoff hockey.
“It sucks to be on the other side of it, but that stuff happens so I’m not going to sit here and complain about it. I think he got away with one, but it is what it is.”
On Friday ahead of Game 6 later that night, Florida coach Paul Maurice was asked about Marchand’s comments though he admitted he had not heard them. Once they were read to him, Maurice pushed back and disagreed with the Bruins captain’s statement:
“I think the playoffs are more focused on everything. Every hit gets finished and every hit gets finished as hard as it can. But I don’t think our game would last 10 minutes if that were true,” Maurice said. “I don’t think that’s true at all. I just think all things are more focused. … You can’t play 82 games the way Boston and Florida are playing. It gets saved up for playoffs and unleashed.”
Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour agreed with his head coach's assessment and also shook off Marchand’s controversial comments.
“I think you just play hard to be honest. Things happen in a fast game,” said Montour, who played briefly at UMass. “Guys get hurt in a series, in the playoffs. For our sake, we just play hard, play between the whistles. Whatever comes of that comes of that.”
Game 6 of the best-of-seven series between Florida and Boston takes place later tonigh. Marchand is a game-time decision for the contest. The Panthers lead the series 3-2.
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