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Brad Marchand acknowledged the TD Garden crowd after a video tribute in the first period.Danielle Parhizkaran\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n\u201cI knew it was going to hit me the way it did,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But . . . <\/p>\n
The kids. The years. The time spent in Boston, growing as a player, as a person, as a Bruin to be revered and remembered.<\/p>\n
It all cascaded through his head before that giant knot welled in his throat, grew too big, and the tears began to stream down his face, rivulets of thanks and farewell. He appreciated seeing it, he said, but the tribute also was torture.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always loved playing here,\u201d Marchand said when the night was over \u2014 a night the Li\u2019l Ball o\u2019Hate admitted caused him angst for weeks. \u201cI loved putting the jersey on and wearing my heart on my sleeve. It\u2019s a hard-working city and people appreciate that. I love the fans here. They are special. They are an incredible group.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brad Marchand acknowledged the TD Garden crowd after a video tribute in the first period.Danielle Parhizkaran\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n
Did we expect he would say anything different? Of course not. Not anyone who paid attention during his time here. For all his undying reputation of being Peck\u2019s Bad Boy, Marchand forever was sincere, often blunt and unvarnished, and forever sincere.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a very, very special night for myself and my family,\u201d he said. \u201cI was trying not to cry \u2014 that\u2019s what I was trying to do, and as soon as I saw my kids on the screen, it kind of hit like a ton of bricks . . . the memories, the emotion, just the years and the years, the incredible times. It just kind of comes pouring into your memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
The big board over center ice framed the show, the Garden crowd rising to a standing ovation as the video, approximately two minutes long, rolled during a break in the action 9:21 into the first period.<\/p>\n
Marchand, on the bench as the highlight reel began to play, could be seen struggling to keep his own head game in check. \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to cry.\u201d Good luck with that.<\/p>\n
As the video frame rolled and the seconds ticked away, \u201cMarchy\u201d turned into a Li\u2019l Ball o\u2019 Mush, the tears rolling down his chiseled cheeks as he hopped over the boards late into the tribute.<\/p>\n
The standing ovation, with scores of fans in TD Garden sporting their No. 63 sweaters, continued to roll for another 60 seconds after the video finished. Skating around in front of the Florida bench, Marchand acknowledged it all, thank yous in the form of stick taps and then a gloved hand held to his heart.<\/p>\n
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Brad Marchand assisted on two Panthers goal, including one in the third period by Eetu Luostarinen (27).Danielle Parhizkaran\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n
More tears poured out. More memories. More years gone by, from the time he arrived here as a 21-year-old to his last game in a Bruins uniform March 1 of this year (exiting early upon being injured during a matinee in Pittsburgh).<\/p>\n
\u201cI love how much they care about the team here,\u201d he said. \u201cI said to someone the other day, they want to win as much or more as we want to win. If we lose a game, they go to work [ticked] the next day. They love the team. They bleed black and gold \u2014 I built such a great relationship with the fans and I always appreciated that.\u201d<\/p>\n
With but 61 seconds ticked off the game clock, Marchand put his name on the scoresheet for a 987th time (427 goals, 560 assists) with a helper on a Mackie Samoskevich power-play goal.<\/p>\n
It was a classic dig-for-every-inch-junkyard-dog Marchand moment, which had him parked off the post and hacking away at the puck on Jeremy Swayman\u2019s doorstep. Samoskevich had the final touch, with Marchand getting the primary assist. Panthers, 1-0, and the Bruins were en route to their fifth consecutive loss.<\/p>\n
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Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman shoved former teammate Brad Marchand when he got a little too close to the crease.Danielle Parhizkaran\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n
Marchand also had his name on Florida\u2019s 3-2 strike midway through the final period, picking up his second primary helper of the night with a dish that sprang Eetu Luostarinen for the tiebreaker. The Finnish left winger hauled in Marchand\u2019s lead pass, gained a step on defenseman Mason Lohrei in the offensive zone, then dotted the top right corner on Swayman.<\/p>\n
Part of what made coming back difficult, explained Marchand, was his concern that he did not want to \u201cdisrespect the team that I\u2019m on in any capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n
He left Boston, noted Marchand, \u201cand I turned the page, and I found something truly special again. I am very, very proud and blessed to be part of.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Boston, Causeway Street, the Garden, all those years with that spoked-B on his chest, was where he made his name.<\/p>\n