Leading scorer Brad Marchand, intent not 'to let the guys down,' returns for Boston Bruins in win

BOSTON — David Pastrnak scored a tiebreaking power-play goal early in the third period to give the surging Boston Bruins a 3-2 win over the travel-weary Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

Boston's leading scorer, Brad Marchand, surprisingly returned to the lineup Saturday after leaving Thursday with an apparent right shoulder injury, and assisted on the game-winning goal.

Marchand had been hit from behind into boards by Washington's Garnet Hathaway, a check that Boston coach Bruce Cassidy called a «cheap» play. Cassidy said Friday that Marchand would be out at least one game.

Less than a day later, before the game, Cassidy said Marchand «was feeling better,» adding that he was to take part in pregame warmups. Just before the puck dropped, the winger received a huge ovation when he was announced in the starting lineup, and all was back to normal in Boston.

«I didn't expect to play today,» he said after the win. «I've got to give a ton of credit to our training staff. I jumped on the ice and felt OK. It's going to take a lot to sit out. If you feel you can play, you battle through it. You don't want to let the guys down.»

Marchand described the week as «a little bit of a whirlwind,» but with the way the Bruins are playing that probably doesn't matter to the star forward. His teammates Charlie Coyle and Oskar Steen also scored for Boston, which is 10-2 since New Year's Day. Tuukka Rask made 21 saves for Boston in his third start after re-signing this month following offseason hip surgery.

Marchand also mentioned in his postgame availability that fans and media don't always realize when NHL players are playing through the many injuries that surface through the course of a regular season.

«It's just something you do,» he said.

Andrew