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Brad Marchand not dwelling on Sam Bennett’s sucker punch ahead of rematch
"In playoff time, if you can knock players out, it only gives your team the advantage."
Brad Marchand isn’t focused on the past, even against a team like the Panthers.
A new season represents a clean slate for Boston after having two straight playoff runs snuffed out by Florida.
And with the Panthers set to hoist their Stanley Cup championship banner ahead of puck drop in Tuesday’s season opener at Amerant Bank Arena, Boston’s captain hopes that the festivities further spur an already motivated roster.
“I wouldn’t say it will be more special, it’s definitely gonna be more intense,” Marchand said Tuesday morning of the Panthers’ championship celebration. “It’s a great opportunity to have two of the best teams in the league match up against each other.”
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A rematch with the Panthers on Tuesday will give Marchand an opportunity to exchange pleasantries with Florida forward Sam Bennett.
The 28-year-old Bennett is cut from the same cloth as Marchand as an intense, pugnacious force reviled by most opponents — and cherished by his teammates for his hard-nosed style of play.
Marchand has plenty of history with Bennett. The Panthers forward sucker punched Marchand amid a reverse hit last year during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Bennett’s jab, delivered in Game 3 of that second-round series, sidelined Marchand for two games as he recovered from an upper-body injury.
Marchand returned for Game 6 against the Panthers at TD Garden, but only landed one shot on goal in 20:06 of ice time in Boston’s season-ending defeat.
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But much as he did ahead of Game 6, Marchand took the high road Tuesday when asked about Bennett’s actions and potentially doling out some revenge moving forward.
“That’s part of the playoffs. I’ve said it plenty of times. In playoff time, if you can knock players out, it only gives your team the advantage. That happens. Teams play very physical. They’re a very physical team, and it’s part of their DNA,” Marchand said. “I don’t play this game expecting to never get hurt.
“Been on my end of both sides of the shots. It’s part of the game. He definitely got away with one and you see the replay and everything, but that’s how it goes. And I’m not holding any animosity. It is what it is. I’m gonna play just as hard as I always do.”
Rather than harp on Bennett or the pain the Panthers have inflicted against Boston over the past two years, Marchand remained focused on the task at hand: opening a new season with a win over the reigning champions.
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“At the end of the day, this is two points we’re out there to get…it doesn’t matter what you do, nothing changes the past. It’s all about being in the moment, moving forward. We have the same goal this year, different opportunity,” Marchand acknowledged. “The goal is to not let these guys get in the way of it again.”
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