Marchand: “Nobody wants to say it, but trying to hurt other players is part of playoff hockey.”

This just in, Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand took part in a full team practice today, for the first time since suffering an injury from Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett last Friday evening.

The Bruins' captain has been out of the lineup since receiving a cold cock sucker punch from Bennett in Game 3. But with the Bruins winning Game 5 in Marchand's absence and forcing a Game 6, there's a growing sense that Marchand could return to action tomorrow night. The fact that he participated in a full practice today HAS to be seen as an encouraging development.

Marchand met with the media following practice and wouldn't fully commit to his status for Game 6, but he did offer up a pretty tasty quote to the media. When asked about the lack of response from the NHL for Bennett's blatant attempt at injury, Marchand reminded everyone that the dirty secret about the Stanley Cup Playoffs is that everyone is always trying to lay the hurt down on their opponents.

Marchand's quote from Bruins insider Ty Anderson:

Marchand is 100% bang on the money with this comment. 

While NHL players may not be trying to actively injure their opponents, I can assure you that Bennett and the Panthers don't feel bad about seeing Marchand out of the lineup.

In fact, immediately after Game 3 Bennett himself defended the play on Marchand.

“On that play, obviously I’m not trying to punch him in the head like everyone’s saying,” Bennett told the NHL on TNT crew following the Panthers’ third-straight win over Boston. “Other people can have different opinions. I’m just bracing myself for him coming to hit me. There’s no way I would have had time to think about punching him in the head. People can see it however they want. It’s playoff hockey. There are going to be hard plays. Obviously, it’s unfortunate he got hit, but that’s just a hockey play in my mind.”

Game 6 tomorrow is gonna be a classic.