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Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand said Sam Bennett “got away with one” when he struck Marchand’s head in Game 3, but that opponents seeking to injure each other is just a part of playoff hockey.

“People don’t want to say it, but part of playoffs is trying to hurt every player on the other team. The more guys you take out, the more advantage your team has,” said Marchand, speaking for the first time after leaving Game 3 against the Florida Panthers with an injury.

“Every time you step on the ice, someone is trying to hurt someone. That’s just how it goes in the playoffs. That’s part of the benefit of having a physical group. That’s why you rarely see teams that are small and skilled go far. Because they get hurt,” he said.

Marchand missed the past two games of the series, with the Bruins losing Game 4 but avoiding elimination with a Game 5 win in Sunrise, Florida. Game 6 is scheduled for Friday night in Boston, with Florida leading the series 3-2.

Coach Jim Montgomery was hopeful that Marchand could return to the Bruins for Game 6 but stressed that his captain has “got boxes to check” before being cleared for the game. He’s officially day-to-day with an upper-body injury. One encouraging sign for Marchand and Boston: He took regular line rushes and was on the first power-play unit in practice Thursday.

The Bruins would welcome him back, as Marchand has 10 points in 10 games (3 goals, 7 assists), tied for the team lead in scoring with Jake DeBrusk.

Marchand’s injury might have resulted from a controversial play involving Bennett. As Marchand went to hit Bennett near the benches, Bennett appeared to throw a gloved punch with his right hand as they made contact. Bennett has denied throwing a punch.

“I’m trying to brace myself. There’s no way I would have had time to think about punching him in the face like everyone,” he said after Game 4.

Marchand called Bennett “an extremely physical player” who does great work for the Panthers. Bennett wasn’t penalized on the play and did not receive any supplemental discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety.

“I think he got away with a shot. But I’m not going to complain. S— happens. That’s part of playoff hockey, I’ve been on the other side of a lot of plays,” Marchand said.

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Georgia leading rusher Etienne ruled out vs. Vols

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Georgia leading rusher Etienne ruled out vs. Vols

No. 12 Georgia will be without leading rusher Trevor Etienne for Saturday’s showdown against No. 7 Tennessee.

Etienne was downgraded from questionable to out on Thursday night’s SEC availability report.

Etienne left Georgia’s win over Florida with an upper-body injury on Nov. 2 and did not return. He played limited snaps in last week’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss, carrying the ball six times for 24 yards.

Etienne leads the Bulldogs with 477 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season.

The loss is another blow to Georgia’s banged-up backfield. Cash Jones is also listed as questionable while Branson Robinson remains out after missing the past three games with a knee injury.

That leaves true freshman Nate Frazier as the only healthy Bulldogs running back who has played meaningful snaps this year. Frazier is second on the team with 333 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

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QB Castellanos exits after losing BC starting job

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QB Castellanos exits after losing BC starting job

Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who lost his starting job earlier this week, will not be returning to the team, he announced Thursday night.

Castellanos, who started 12 games last season and retained the top job under new coach Bill O’Brien, wrote on X that “unfortunately, all good things come to an end, even though it’s sooner than I would like.” He did not mention the transfer portal in his departing message and has not officially entered it. The junior from Waycross, Georgia, started his career at UCF and appeared in five games in 2022.

O’Brien said Tuesday that Grayson James, who replaced Castellanos in last week’s win against Syracuse, will start Saturday when Boston College visits No. 14 SMU. Castellanos “wasn’t real thrilled” with the decision, O’Brien said, adding that the quarterback decided to step away from the team for several days.

Castellanos had 2,248 passing yards and 1,113 rushing yards last season under coach Jeff Hafley, passing for 15 touchdowns and adding 13 on the ground. He had 18 touchdown passes and only five interceptions this season, but his accuracy dipped in recent weeks, and he completed only 2 of 7 passes against Syracuse before being replaced.

In his statement, Castellanos thanked both coaching staffs he played for at Boston College and wrote that he had “some of the best experiences of my life in the Eagles Nest and I will truly cherish these memories forever.”

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Gators’ Lagway ‘ready to play,’ will start vs. LSU

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Gators' Lagway 'ready to play,' will start vs. LSU

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is “ready to play,” coach Billy Napier said Thursday on his weekly radio show.

Napier removed Lagway from the team’s injury report and penciled him in to start against No. 21 LSU in the Swamp on Saturday.

Lagway practiced every day this week while progressing from a strained left hamstring. The highly touted freshman was carted off the field against Georgia on Nov. 2. Tests revealed a “less significant” injury than initially feared, and now he’s back in time to face the Tigers.

The Gators (4-5, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) need him. They have to win two of their final three regular-season games to become bowl eligible.

LSU (6-3, 3-2) has struggled mightily against dual-threat QBs, including Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, who ran for 185 yards and four touchdowns last week.

Lagway returns after walk-on and Yale transfer Aidan Warner started in his place against Texas. Warner threw two interceptions and was 12-of-25 passing for 132 yards in a 49-17 loss.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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