SUNRISE, Fla. — Win or lose, an NHL dressing room is controlled chaos after a game.

As the Bruins packed their bags Tuesday for a return trip to Boston, the equipment staff bundled up sticks, stacked sweaters, and corralled the battle-worn gear from a season-saving Game 5 win over the Panthers.

But as skates and gloves were sorted, one thing remained unchanged in the visiting locker room at Amerant Bank Arena.

A crisp No. 63 sweater — unblemished from the wear and tear of playoff hockey — was left hanging in Brad Marchand’s stall.

It remained in that spot throughout Tuesday’s 2-1 win, a galvanizing reminder of what the Bruins had lost in this second-round bout with the Panthers — and what could be gained by forcing a Game 6 Friday night.

“His jersey is still hanging right there,” Jeremy Swayman said. “And it will never come down because he’s going to be back in it very soon.”

Marchand, felled by a punch from Panthers antagonist Sam Bennett in Game 3, has missed the last two games with what the Bruins categorize as an upper-body injury.

The 36-year-old captain didn’t see his name on Tuesday’s stat sheet. His sharp wrist shot didn’t pepper Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky during the Bruins’ 13-shot first period, nor did his crisp edge work help them tame a furious Florida forecheck.

But even with Marchand unable to take the ice, his presence was felt throughout the victory.

Despite being ruled out for the game, Marchand made the trip to South Florida with his teammates Monday. He took part in Tuesday’s morning skate and delivered a pregame speech in the locker room.

“As a professional athlete, not being able to play and watch the games — sometimes as a player, you don’t recognize how [expletive] nervous you are,” David Pastrnak said. “I had that in the bubble [in the 2020 postseason]. It’s no fun to watch your team go to battle.

“But he was amazing. He came in between every period, gave a little quick speech. And he was there for us. So we obviously talked and wanted to get him back into the series and keep extending the series.”

Marchand has long served as an emotional conduit in the locker room, even before the “C” was stitched onto his sweater. Whereas Patrice Bergeron emphasized communication and compassion during his reign as the team leader, Marchand brings intensity and a willingness to lead his teammates into the fight.

That approach was on display during his takeover games against the Maple Leafs in Round 1, and his production (10 points in 10 playoff games) has been missed against Florida.

But even with Marchand still on the mend, Charlie Coyle believes his presence alone at the rink was enough to give the Bruins a lift in Tuesday’s do-or-die matchup.

“His leadership, even when he’s not dressed — he’s still in here, he’s still leading,” Coyle acknowledged. “And he does what he can to help the team in whatever way possible. That’s huge.

“Just to have a guy like that who, yeah, he’s not healthy enough to play, but he shows his commitment and still leads by example … it goes far beyond his play on the ice.”

Marchand went down in Game 3 after an encounter with Florida’s Sam Bennett.MATTHEW J. LEE/GLOBE STAFF

Tuesday’s win not only kept the Bruins’ season going, it may have opened the door for Marchand to rejoin his teammates for Friday’s matchup. But a return in Game 6 is not a guarantee, as noted by coach Jim Montgomery.

“He’s got steps that he’s got to do — just like any of our players that are day-to-day and injured — before we think he’s going to be a full-time player,” Montgomery said. “So we’re going to take it day by day.”

Whatever spark of hope the Bruins lit Tuesday would only grow stronger if the captain dons that sweater again.

“Having him around is awesome in any capacity,” Charlie McAvoy said. “Just his presence for us means a lot, and everything that he carries and what he means to this team.

“So having him here on this trip — he’s in there during the game and constantly giving us life, giving us positivity, and that means a lot. We know what he means to this group.

“And we didn’t say die. We wanted to see this thing go back to Boston and give him a chance to get right and hopefully be back.”

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