Brad Marchand day to day after questionable hit by Panthers' Sam Bennett

BOSTON -- The Bruins may have to play Sunday night's Game 4 against the Panthers without their captain. Boston's Brad Marchand is considered day to day after leaving Friday night's Game 3 loss with an upper body injury. 

And the Bruins are not happy with the hit that likely caused Marchand's injury. It's unclear when it happened, but Marchand was shaken up after taking a hard hit from Panthers center Sam Bennett early in the first period. It looks like Bennett threw a punch to Marchand's head with his right hand as he made contact, which is something Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery discussed with reporters following Saturday's practice.

"In real time, my eyes weren't on there as the puck had left that area," Montgomery said. "But having seen it, there's a history there with Bennett. Hard player, but there's clearly evidence of what went on. People can say it wasn't intentional, but we have our view of it." 

Marchand didn't go to the locker room after the hit and played through the second period, but was ruled out ahead of the third period of Boston's 6-2 loss to the Panthers at TD Garden. Boston now finds itself in a 2-1 series hole heading into Sunday's Game 4.  

There will be no supplemental discipline for Bennett, according to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, which will likely only throw more fuel on the fire in this heated playoff series. A dozen players were given game misconducts in a fight-filled Game 2 in Florida on Wednesday night, and while players mostly kept their cool Friday night, things could get really chippy again in Game 4.

Not having Marchand would obviously be a huge blow to the Bruins, as he leads the team with 10 points off three goals and seven assists during the postseason.