Marchand’s Leadership on Full Display in Game 3

TORONTO – Jim Montgomery was just trying to adhere to the schedule.

As the Bruins twirled around the rink at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday ahead of the team’s morning skate, Boston’s bench boss was prepared to start the on-ice session promptly at 11:30 a.m.

Then he received a message from his Captain: it was time to get things going.

“Morning skate, I saw the way we were, I saw the way our Captain was. I just knew we were gonna have a good game. Didn’t know if we were gonna win because the Leafs are a good hockey team. But I knew we were coming to play,” said Montgomery.

“[Marchand] started barking [before] the first drill…I go, ‘it’s three minutes early.’ He goes, ‘Let’s go!’ I loved it.”

That intensity carried over into Game 3 several hours later with Marchand leading the way behind a monster three-point third period, which included the winning goal and an empty-netter in Boston’s 4-2 win over the Maple Leafs to take a 2-1 series lead.

“I just think there’s a burning intensity in him to win,” said Montgomery. “He doesn’t care about what just happened. Good or bad, it’s gone. He’s on to what’s next.”

Following his dynamite showing in Boston’s victory, Marchand acknowledged that he woke up on Wednesday feeling a certain level of gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to take part in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 12^th time in his career.

“It’s not a given that you get the opportunity to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs,” said Marchand. “Just kind of woke up with that gratitude of being excited, understanding that it’s a gift to play in this league, and playoffs is something we dream about as kids.

“I talk to my kids about it and their dreams of playing at this level. And to realize that we’re living it, I just kind of woke up with that gratitude that we’re lucky to be here. You want to make the most of this opportunity. Just felt that this morning.”

The 35-year-old felt it all evening as well, especially during the final frame, as he paced the Bruins to a comeback victory. With things tied up, 1-1, to start the third, Marchand’s shot on the power play led to a rebound that Jake DeBrusk jammed home to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead.

It was Marchand’s 79^th career postseason assist, which moved him past longtime linemate Patrice Bergeron for sole possession of third place on the B’s all-time list.

“I’ve seen it for my whole career,” said DeBrusk. “I feel like the games for him when he plays his best is when there’s a little bit of a cluster going on around him during the game or sometimes maybe before or after. When he gets in his ‘Little Ball of Hate’ mode that’s when good things happen for the team.”

That mode was certainly activated, even before his helper on DeBrusk’s goal. It was Marchand’s tussle with old friend Tyler Bertuzzi that distracted nearly everyone inside Scotiabank Arena from the fact that Trent Frederic had just tied the game, 1-1, with a short side wrister through Ilya Samsonov with 2:23 left in the second period.

“It was really weird,” said Frederic. “I was trying to tell the guys that we scored to remind them because I don’t think anyone really knew. It was kind of a weird play. I’m glad it all kind of unraveled like that.

“Normally, you get a reaction from your teammates and the crowd, but I don’t think anyone was watching so it was kind of funny.”

Marchand and Bertuzzi have tangled throughout the series, despite forming a strong friendship during their brief time as teammate last spring.

“We always battled, we’re similar players,” said Marchand. “We got along great when we were teammates. We’re similar people off the ice, similar interests, but when you’re in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and playing against each other, that all goes out the window.”

Bertuzzi responded with a goal to tie the game, 2-2, at 11:25 of the third when a Morgan Rielly shot redirected off Bertuzzi and then Bruins blue liner Hampus Lindholm at the top of the crease. Just 28 seconds later, however, Marchand answered with a tally of his own.

After a strong forecheck by Frederic freed the puck to Danton Heinen in the corner, Marchand took a feed from Heinen and sniped one over the left shoulder of Samsonov, a perfectly placed shot to give Boston back the lead. The marker ended up as his 12^th career game-winner in the postseason, moving him past Cam Neely for the most in Bruins history.

“He’s a leader. That’s our leader,” said Jeremy Swayman, who made 28 saves on 30 shots in the win. “He’s a captain through and through. He doesn’t take no for an answer. He leads by example. He’s just the pinnacle of what a captain should be and we’re so lucky to have him in this room.”

Marchand made more history later in the third when he buried an empty-netter for his second goal of the frame and his 55^th career playoff tally, which moved him into a tie with Neely at the top of the B’s all-time postseason goals list.

It also marked his 11^th career three-point game in the playoffs to tie Rick Middleton for third-most and his eighth multi-goal game in the postseason to pass Peter McNab for sixth place in Bruins history.

“I guess now I witness it firsthand,” said Montgomery. “But I love watching hockey, and even if I wasn’t coaching in the NHL, I was watching him and Bergeron and what the Bruins were doing because they’ve always been an elite team. He’s always risen to big moments. You look at his career points in the playoffs, like wow.”

Montgomery added that Marchand has learned to toe the line when it comes to his emotions.

“Well, it’s new. I think it’s age,” said Montgomery. “Obviously, everybody in the playoffs targets the other team’s best players. He gets targeted and he still manages to get under peoples’ skin and yet he doesn’t cross the line. It’s something that you just got to tip your hat to him because of his maturation as a hockey player and a person.”

Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe tipped his cap to Marchand, while slyly indicating to the media after Game 3 that he believed the Boston captain got away with something during his tie up with Bertuzzi in the second period.

“He’s been in the league long enough,” said Keefe. “As you can see, he gets calls. It’s unbelievable, actually, how it goes. We’ve got to play through, we’ve got to play through that stuff. I don’t think there’s another player in this series that gets away with taking out Bertuzzi’s legs the way that he does.

“There’s not another player in this series that gets away with that, but he does. It’s an art. He’s elite at it.”

Marchand disagreed that he’s been riding the edge, saying his focus has been on playing hockey.

“I don’t really think that I’ve been trying to ride a line with anything,” said Marchand. “The last number of years, it’s taken a long time to just play. I don’t always do it. Bert and I get tied up one shift, but outside of that, I’m not really in the mix with anything. I’m just trying to play and play a good team game.

“At this time of the year, it gets so emotional and I’m an emotional player. We have a lot of emotional players on your team. To be able to keep that intact, I thought we’ve done a really good job of that so far as a team.

“We’re playing hard between the whistles and we’re not going over that line. Just have to continue that.”

And continue to be grateful for the opportunity in front of them.

“It’s something that I think is part of our culture and it’s been talked about for years here,” said Montgomery. “I think it was just great, when I read those quotes [from Marchand about gratitude], I loved it…that’s a big part of my life, but I know for a lot of players and our culture, it’s a big part of our team culture.”