Following the sucker punch heard around the world, Brad Marchand missed Game 4 of the Bruins/Panthers series. Now, his status for Game 5 is also known.
The Bruins are going to attempt to stave off elimination on Tuesday, but unfortunately, they'll have to go into battle without the services of their captain, as Marchand is officially listed as out for the contest.
Sam Bennett delivered a stiff sucker punch to the head of Marchand during Game 3 on a play where Marchand was simply looking to complete a routine hit in the neutral zone, next to the benches. The punch left Marchand dazed and disoriented and the early concern is that Marchand may have suffered a concussion on the play.
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery stated following Tuesday's morning skate that Marchand is "not an option" for Game 5, so anyone hoping to see Marchand sneak in as a game-time decision will be disappointed.
Perhaps the most outrageous detail about this whole ordeal is that the NHL's Department of Player Safety saw nothing wrong with the play, calling it a "hockey play", despite the clear fact that it was a glove-on punch, made worse by the fact that Bennett was gripping the butt of his stick when it happened, increasing the force of the blow.
