Brad Marchand knocked out of Game Three with injury after big hit from Sam Bennett

The Boston Bruins are down 2-1 in their second-round series against the Florida Panthers. And they may also now be down one of their best players.

Brad Marchand, who had 10 points (3g, 7a) in nine playoff games coming into Friday night’s Game Three, took a big hit from Panthers forward Sam Bennett early in the game’s first period. The infamous pest stayed in the game for the rest of the first and second periods but did not come out for the final frame due to what the Bruins described an upper-body injury.

The play happened before five minutes were off the clock in the first period. Marchand went to throw an open-ice check on Bennett but got caught with a reverse hit that sent him flying into the side boards between the two benches.

The 35-year-old winger was slow to get up and was in evident pain before making his way onto Boston’s bench. Marchand appeared to be gingerly holding his right shoulder as he chatted with a Bruins athletic trainer.

After a highly physical Game Two that featured 148 total penalty minutes, the NHL reportedly told both clubs that their series would be under extra officiating scrutiny moving forward. Marchand tested those waters early on in Game Three, seemingly challenging Panthers star center Aleksander Barkov to a fight at the opening faceoff.

Just minutes later, Bennett would slam Marchand to the ice with the big hit. Friday marked Bennett’s return to the lineup after he suffered an upper-body injury of his own in Game Two of the Panthers’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Bennett went on to record a primary assist on Vladimir Tarasenko’s second-period goal. Boston would score their only two goals of the game in the third without Marchand on the bench but Florida limited them to just 16 shots overall in a 6-2 finish.

Florida can now take a commanding 3-1 series lead if they win both games in Boston. Game Four is scheduled for a 6:30 pm puck drop on Sunday.