Last week, the Boston Bruins faced true difficulty as they dropped three straight games for the first time since Jim Montgomery became head coach in the summer of 2022.
The Bruins’ defensive shortcomings were brought to light by three losses: a humiliating 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, a 7-4 loss to the New York Rangers, and a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, who were in last place at the time. Boston was losing far too many good opportunities to score goals.
How would they react to the season’s first genuine adversity? Without Patrice Bergeron in the locker room or on the ice, who would step up in these hard times? Did the Bruins’ impressive win-loss record understate their true abilities?
Let’s introduce Brad Marchand.
Over the last three games, the captain of the Boston Bruins stepped up and carried the team. Marchand was instrumental in the Bruins’ three-game winning streak—3-0 against the Sharks, 4-3 (OT) against the Leafs, and 3-1 against the Blue Jackets.
On Saturday night in Toronto, Marchand spearheaded a formidable Bruins offensive against a very strong Leafs team. In overtime, he scored the winning goal with eight shots on goal in the end. The Bruins lost two- and three-point leads, so what might have been another difficult loss was instead another thrilling win over a division opponent.
The actual fireworks happened on Sunday.
After two quarters, Boston’s attack was having trouble scoring any goals. The Bruins faced the threat of dropping two games to a poor Blue Jackets club in the course of seven days. Marchand then just took command of the game and dominated it. It took him just less than eight minutes to score a natural hat trick in the third period.
The third-period goal by Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy was “unbelievable – a natural hat trick,” he told reporters on Sunday night. “It seemed as though he simply threw us onto his back and said, ‘I’ll get us to the finish line.'” He is capable of that. He plays with such enthusiasm and vigor.”
With a 3-1 win, the Bruins now have a 17-4-3 record (37 points), which is tied for the best in the NHL.
In recent years, the Bruins have lost a number of outstanding leaders. As of 2020, the team has lost veterans Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, David Krejci, Bergeron, and others to retirement or departure. This season, Boston’s core of leadership appears a little different, but Marchand keeps the group strong. Now that he has studied under the greatest, it is his time to take over.
There are numerous methods to demonstrate leadership, including on-ice performance. Marchand’s scoring, attacking zone aggression, and general competitiveness helped the Bruins win a couple games that were desperately needed.
Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman told reporters after the game on Sunday, “He’s a true leader, and we all knew that from the beginning.” “And after consecutive back-to-back victories, he should just take it on his back and refuse to accept defeat. That’s what leaders do. He will appear when it is appropriate. It was a very memorable occasion for him because he has been doing that his entire career.”
Practice also demonstrated Marchand’s leadership, according to Montgomery.
In his postgame press conference on Sunday, Montgomery stated, “I think his leadership stood out more while we were going through our adversity and losing and how well he led us in his practice habits and helping the team dig in on the checking part of our game.”Marchand is second on the team with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 24 games this season, behind only David Pastrnak’s 36. After eight seasons, he is on pace to score at least one point per game for the eighth time. Though few players have been more prolific than the Bruins captain over the past ten to thirteen years, Marchand doesn’t have a reputation as an excellent offensive player.
Marchand has tallied 362 goals since the 2011–12 season began. During that time, only three players have scored more: John Tavares (381), Steven Stamkos (406), and Alex Ovechkin (526). During that time, only seven players have scored more points than Marchand’s 843.
Marchand has adapted to the captaincy job with ease, despite the loss of a player of the caliber of Bergeron. He has also contributed to the Bruins’ success on both ends of the rink in 5-on-5 and special teams play. The 35-year-old left flank has a greater overall influence than most players.
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