Boston captain Brad Marchand returns for must-win Game 6 against Panthers

BOSTON (AP) — Boston captain Brad Marchand was dressed and back in the lineup for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Florida Panthers on Friday night with the Bruins needing a victory to keep their playoff season alive.

Marchand missed two games with an undisclosed injury after getting hit in the head by Panthers forward Sam Bennett. The team's longest-tenured player and No. 2 scorer this season returned to practice on Friday morning and was deemed a game-time decision.

Marchand, who turned 36 last week, had 29 goals and 38 assists in the regular season and 10 points in the first 10 games of the playoffs.

The Panthers led the best-of-seven series 3-2.

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Associated Press