Then, to top it off, Nikita Zadorov fired up the TD Garden by roughing up Sam Bennnett, the same Sam Bennett who concussed Marchand in the playoffs last year and then became his friend on Team Canada at the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off.

The uncomfortable reality of Marchand and Boston being separate entities was inevitable after the team fell short a couple of years ago.

Marchand met with general manager Don Sweeney before the trade deadline, offering to compromise, but the Bruins did not adjust their offer, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, ultimately making a "really, really difficult" decision, per Sweeney.