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Brad Marchand's leadership in a new Boston Bruins era

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Austin Sabourin
September 8, 2023 (11:57 PM)

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As the Boston Bruins gear up for the season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks on October 11th, Brad Marchand acknowledges that things will be different on the ice.

His longtime linemate and teammate, Patrice Bergeron, has retired after an impressive 19-year stint with the Spoked-B on his chest.

For Marchand, it marks the first time since 2011 that he'll have a new center.

New Centers, New Chemistry

Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha are the likely contenders to lead the first and second lines with Marchand on the left wing.

However, Marchand emphasizes that they shouldn't attempt to mimic the past.

"I think the biggest thing that we have to do is to make sure that we don't try to play the same way that Bergy and I played," Marchand told reporters following the Bruins' captains' practice at Warrior Ice Arena. "If I'm playing with Coyle or I'm playing with Zacha, they can't play like Bergy, and I'm not gonna play like their past wingers. We have to build our own chemistry from Day 1."

Building a Unique Bond

Marchand recognizes that Bergeron is a player many centers look up to, but he encourages Coyle and Zacha to embrace their own styles of play and work together with him.

"I gotta find what strengths either one of those guys have, and play within that," Marchand said. "Same for me, it took years to build what Bergy and I had and whoever was with us at that point in time. It's just something that we're gonna have to continue to work on every day in practice, to watch video and we're gonna have to build it throughout the season, and during that season and the year after that. It'll be a work in progress, but the biggest thing is those two guys have a phenomenal opportunity ahead of themselves."

Embracing the Challenge

Despite the absence of Bergeron and Krejci, Marchand sees promise in the team's core, and Coyle is enthusiastic about the upcoming challenge.

«I'm sure they've both been waiting for this moment,» Marchand added. «They're gonna drive the team and play a lot of big (power play) and (penalty kill) minutes, important minutes, last minute of the game, whether we're up or down by a goal. Guys are looking forward to that their whole careers. So huge opportunities for them but it's something that we all have to work on.»

A new chapter in Bruins history awaits, and Marchand is ready to lead the way with his new linemates.

Source: Nesn

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POLL
8 SEPTEMBRE \| 118 ANSWERS Brad Marchand's leadership in a new Boston Bruins era Do you think Marchand and his new centers, Coyle and Zacha, will successfully build their own chemistry and adapt to the post-Bergeron era for the Boston Bruins?
Yes	87	73.7 %
No	31	26.3 %
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