For Brad Marchand, sitting and watching his teammates play without him was hard. The Bruins' captain missed part of Game 3 and all of Games 4 and 5 of Boston's second-round series against the Florida Panthers, sidelined with a concussion.
He returned to the lineup for Game 6 in front of a home crowd at TD Garden that gave him a loud ovation as his name was read among the Bruins' starters.
The Bruins ultimately lost to the Florida Panthers in the game, 2-1, ending the Bruins' and Marchand's season. When the game concluded, Marchand spoke to the media about the losing result, and gave new information about the injury he was dealing with and his fight behind the scenes to get back as quickly as possible.
Marchand, who was suspected to have suffered a concussion in Game 3 after a hit to the head by Panthers forward Sam Bennett, confirmed that was indeed the case and that he had been placed in concussion protocol during the game.
Marchand shed some light on what he was going through with his health in the time between being taken out in Game 3 until he returned for Game 6.
From the initial conversations on the bench after he took a punch to the head in Game 3 just under four minutes in, Marchand said he insisted on continuing to play.
Marchand says when doctors approached him about coming out of the game in the second intermission, he fought back, but ultimately it wasn't his call.
"Yeah I did push. I did. At the end of the day, it's their call. But I was able to get out for the first and second of the last game [Game 3] and then they pulled me," Marchand said.
In the following days, Marchand remained in concussion protocol during Game 4 on May 12 and Game 5 in Florida on May 14, when Boston won 2-1 to keep its season alive and give Marchand a chance to return to the lineup on May 17, a week after suffering the injury.
"I felt alright," Marchand said about his health for Game 6. "I definitely pushed it, getting back. I wouldn't say I was upfront about how I felt, but it's hard to sit out. I didn't make the decision to sit out. The only reason I got pulled out of that game [Game 3] and the only reason I was in protocol was because the doctors forced me into it."
In Marchand's return to the lineup Friday night, he played just over 20 minutes and was on the ice for the Bruins' only goal in their season-ending loss.
Marchand explained why getting back into the lineup during the Panthers series was so important to him:
"You work your entire life to be in a position to play for a Cup, and I spoke on it the other day a little bit," he said. "But to win, to go all the way, you need to be willing to sacrifice things. And I don't mind playing hurt, I don't care what it is. To be out there with the guys and be in an elimination game, you want to be there with the guys, you want to go through it together.
"We've built something all year and you want to be a part of it. Whether you win or you lose, you want to be in there in the fight with the guys, experience every moment, because like I said, you never know when you're going to get it again. I learned that from the guys in the past."
The loss to the Panthers marked the end of Marchand's first season as captain, one that saw the Bruins get a round further than they did last season with a more loaded roster.
