This is certainly a nice step in the right direction.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand missed Games 4 and 5 against the Florida Panthers due to an upper-body injury. The star winger notably took a high hit from Panthers forward Sam Bennett in Game 3 that made him miss the entirety of the third period of that matchup. 

There is no question that the Bruins have missed Marchand immensely in their lineup. Because of this and their season being on the line, fans are anxiously awaiting to see if Marchand will play for Game 6. While there has not been an answer yet, Marchand took a step in the right direction on Thursday. 

Marchand, 36, participated in the Bruins' practice. The veteran winger skated on the club's second line with Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic. While this does not guarantee that Marchand will play the next game, seeing him back on the ice with his teammates is still good.

Following practice, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery shared that Marchand remains day-to-day and still has "boxes to check." However, he also noted that No. 63 "looked good today."

The Bruins will now be hoping that Marchand is cleared to go for Game 6 after his solid practice. The gritty winger has three goals, 10 points, and a plus-2 rating in 10 postseason games thus far. 

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