Panthers' Paul Maurice addresses Sam Bennett hit that left Brad Marchand injured

A collision between Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand during Game 3 of the second-round playoff series between the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins stirred discussions and concern within the hockey community. The Panthers head coach, Paul Maurice, talked about the incident on Saturday.

Bennett dumped the puck in the neutral zone before colliding with Marchand. The collision resulted in Marchand going down hard near the boards at center ice. Although Marchand initially continued playing, he showed signs of discomfort and eventually missed part of the game.

Maurice was asked about the collision and whether he saw a punch from Bennett at Marchand.

“No, and I don’t think most of you would either," Maurice said (via Michael Russo on X). "It was just a collision. In a perfect world, every team has everybody healthy. Nobody likes to see anybody hurt."

The collision didn't lead to any penalty on Sam Bennett. Marchand had to stay off the ice for a while during the first period before returning to the ice to play the second period. He missed the entire third period.

Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery on Brad Marchand's injury

According to the Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery, Marchand is listed as day-to-day due to his upper-body injury in Game 3.

“Having seen it, there’s a history there with Bennett. There’s clearly evidence of what went on,” Montgomery said.

Despite accumulating five hits during his ice time, he did not register a shot or a point. Marchand, known for his scoring prowess, had an assist in each of the first two games but hasn't scored a goal in six consecutive games. An update on his condition is anticipated before Game 4 on Sunday.

Brad Marchand's Bruins lost 6-2 to Panthers

The Florida Panthers dominated the power play, scoring four goals with a man advantage to secure a 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Vladimir Tarasenko and Carter Verhaeghe scored on the same power play, while Evan Rodrigues netted two goals. Sergei Bobrovsky made 14 saves for Florida.

Despite a late surge from Boston, which included goals from Jakub Lauko and Jake DeBrusk, the Panthers held on. The Bruins must win Game 4 to avoid a 3-1 series deficit.