‘Incredible Speech’ From Defenseman Inspired Bruins Before Game 7
Brad Marchand and Pat Maroon saw great value in the veteran’s words.
Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk only received 10:29 of ice time — the fewest among the defensive corps — in Boston’s thrilling Game 7 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden.
But Shattenkirk’s biggest contribution perhaps came before the puck was even dropped Saturday night.
With the Bruins making the unusual decision to stay at a hotel the night before the home game, Shattenkirk delivered a well-timed speech that resonated with his teammates and got them prepared for the pressure-packed, winner-take-all situation.
“We were together (Friday) night, it’s not a secret,” Marchand told reporters following Boston’s 2-1 overtime win, per Eric Russo of Bruins.com. “We watched video, we met as a group and (Shattenkirk) gave the group an incredible speech that really allowed us to kind of settle down and understand where we’re at and how we had to play and what we needed to believe to get the job done.
Shattenkirk is only in his first season with the Bruins, but his playoff credentials certainly are respected in Boston’s locker room. Shattenkirk has 91 playoff games under his belt and is just one of three current Bruins players — joining Marchand and Pat Maroon — who have won a Stanley Cup title, doing so in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
