How Brad Marchand Led The Boston Bruins To A 3-1 Series Lead
When Brad Marchand was named the Boston Bruins’ captain at the beginning of the year, there were questions surrounding how the leadership role would affect his signature, pesty game.
There was a learning curve for the 35-year-old forward in balancing the fiery edge that makes him so effective, and the responsibilities and composure that comes with wearing the ‘C.’
Marchand has come into full form this playoffs, and paced his team to a 3-1 Game 4 win Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena, securing the 3-1 series lead.
“[Marchand] has been dynamite these last two games,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said Saturday to the media. “In the playoffs you need your big-time players to make big-time plays, and they’re doing that for us.”
Marchand’s two-point (one goal, one assist) performance puts him at an eight-point total through four playoff games, but his impact is felt beyond the scoresheet. He has dragged his guys into the fight each night, gotten under the Leafs’ skin and been a force on the backend.
Marchand is playing like a captain all while playing like himself. The Bruins are better for it.
“This time of year, you have to want to be part of it and you have to want to make a difference,” Marchand said Saturday to the media. “We just seem to have that in the group right now.”
James van Riemsdyk gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead with his first goal since Feb. 17. Mason Lohrei forced a turnover along the boards and poked the puck over to van Riemsdyk in the slot who backhanded it in at 15:09.
The veteran forward was a healthy scratch for the series’ first two games, but van Riemsdyk’s experience and net-front poise has boded well for Boston since he reentered the lineup. Lohrei collected his first career playoff point on the play.
“You can see the confidence coming. When he makes a play like he did there, there’s not a lot of people that make those kinds of poised plays — that’s why he has so many goals in his career,” Montgomery said of van Riemsdyk.
Marchand buried his third goal in three games to give the Bruins a 2-0 advantage at 8:20 of the second period. The captain one-timed the puck from the right circle – Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle assisted on the tally. With the goal, Marchand set the Bruins record for career Stanley Cup goals with 56.
Boston’s special teams have stepped up in the playoffs. The group has six power-play goals in four games, and has gone 8-for-8 on the penalty kill in the last two contests.
“I think our sticks and our goaltenders have been really good,” Montgomery said of the PK.
The Bruins shifted the momentum of the game with 42 seconds left in the middle frame and extended their lead to 3-0. David Pastrnak – who had just one goal in three games coming into Saturday – scored off a 2-on-1 rush with Marchand in which they blew by the Leafs’ defenders.
Apr 27, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) scores a goal and celebrates with center Charlie Coyle (13) against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY
Mitch Marner got Toronto on the board at 5:43 of the third period to make it 3-1, but a locked-in Jeremy Swayman shut the door for the rest of the game and finished the night with 24 saves. The Bruins broke their goaltender rotation Saturday with Swayman starting in both Game 3 and 4, and it proved to be worth it.
The 25 year old is now 6-0-0 against the Leafs this year, and has posted a 1.34 goals against average and .956 save percentage in the playoffs.
Boston has the opportunity to close out the series at TD Garden on Tuesday in Game 5. The Bruins – who saw a 3-1 series lead against the Florida Panthers last playoffs turn into a first-round exit – will look to learn from the past to benefit the future.
“There’s a lot of guys in our room that have gone through it just a little while ago,” Montgomery said. “It hurt. We’re going to see how much we’ve learned.”
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