So…everyone surely saw that, right? The latest game between Utah and Florida; 4:18 into overtime, Brad Marchand passed the puck to Sam Bennett from behind the net, leading to Bennett then shooting past Karel Vejmelka and resulting in the Florida 2-1 win, their seventh straight home win! Everyone went crazy; the commentators couldn’t hold back their joy, shouting, “Let’s go home, baby!” through the loudspeakers, and then, of course, the plastic rats came raining down.

Of the infamous rats, Marchand said, “It was one of the things that my kids said right away. They were asking about the rats being thrown out there, and I said, I don’t know when it happens, but if it does, I’ll grab a couple, so…” And Brad Marchand stayed true to his word with his kids; he did indeed grab a couple!

After, of course, the hugs and the fist pumps. Marchand and former nemesis (anyone remember game 3 of the Eastern Conference second round matchup between the Panthers and the Bruins?) Sam Bennett hugged it out after that sweet assist before Marchand went on to share the accomplishment with the rest of the exuberant team.

However, as many might be well aware, this victory is not sweet all around. There are undoubtedly a bunch of super sour Bruins fans who, in the wake of the Bruins’ losing streak—they recently lost 6-2 to the Ducks and 7-2 to the Kings—are feeling worse about the trade of their legendary captain, Marchand, than ever. Don Sweeney is in hot water, that’s for sure.

Bruins fans continue to bemoan their new reality without Brad Marchand

Some Bruin fan reactions drew attention to the physical effects of the sudden and shocking trade of Brad Marchand, the star left winger and captain, to the Florida Panthers: A famous rival of the Bruins, after having “outscored the Bruins 23-13 in their five straight playoff wins in Boston,” as per the official NHL website. “I feel like throwing up,” one X user wrote, encapsulating the physical toll this trade is having on some, and then, of course, there was the slightly more subtle, “I’m disgusted.” 

Other fans drew attention to the past rivalry between Marchand and Bennett, back in the ‘good old days’ when Marchand played for the Bruins. “Marchand to Bennett. Make it make sense!” The user wrote, referring to an intense rivalry that took place between the two players, well before they both played for Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face Off. So some sense, it doth make, however…there was a very pointed rivalry between the two players in the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2024, when Bennett sucker-punched Marchand, forcing him to miss games 4 and 5 of Boston’s second-round series against Florida! True sportsmanship is what I’ll call coming back from that.

Another fan, of course, thought to place blame fairly and pointedly at the GM of the Bruins, Mr. Don Sweeney, whose decision to trade Brad Marchand has still not shown any signs of being a good one.  “Captain still looking good there , Sweeney @NHLBruins!! Bruins fans will never forget what you have done !” one X user stated, which, for the time being, stands true and painful. The video of Don Sweeney announcing the Marchand trade in the exec room has gone viral for all the wrong reasons: for how casually such a life-changing decision was announced, leading to an overall atmosphere of complete desolation amongst Bruins fans.

Which leads to our final X statement, which sums up the current state of mind of Bruins fans right now. “Shoot me.”

It is no secret that Brad Marchand’s trade hasn’t reaped the best results for the Bruins, and it will perhaps propel Florida even further on account of Marchand and Bennett having such good chemistry, but if the Bruins and David Pastrnak can wrangle something from the season, now is the time!