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Can the Florida Panthers really go back-to-back?
With a dominant roster and playoff experience, the Panthers are poised to make a strong run at back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
Sports Pulse
- Game 4 is scheduled for May 11th, Marchand’s 37th birthday.
SUNRISE — Brad Marchand is a pest. No other way best describes him.
He’s a pest you want to stomp out when he’s your opponent. He’s a pest you want to embrace and, well, fire rubber rats at when he’s on your team.
So when Marchand saved the Florida Panthers’ season from the brink with his overtime goal in Game 3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, his teammates continued a tradition they started after Florida acquired the 16-year veteran from the Boston Bruins ahead of the trade deadline.
They shot those rats that littered the ice in his direction.
“Coming in everybody embraced me and welcomed me,” said Marchand, whose wrist shot from the top of the circle at 15:27 of overtime gave the Panthers a 5-4 victory at Amerant Bank Arena. Marchant’s shot deflected off Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly and fluttered past goalie Joseph Woll.
“When you see what the team is doing and what we want to do and the way we do it, you want to buy in and be part of it. And you have fun. It makes the big moments a lot of fun.
“That’s just a small example of how the guys enjoy themselves out there.”
Credit Marchand, with help from goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who made two highlight-reel game-saving saves in overtime, for giving the Panthers life.
Lose this game and the Panthers have to do something just four teams have done in the history of the NHL playoffs, win a series after losing the first three games.
“You’re going to have a tough time getting out of that hole,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.
Now, the Panthers head into Game 4 looking to tie the series after Toronto held home ice advantage in the first two games, taking a 2-0 series lead.
Marchand says there are no bad shots in overtime
Few players in the league are better conditioned to shine after 60 minutes of an NHL game than the 5-foot-9 Marchand, who turns 37 on May 11, the day of Game 4. Maurice called him a “very, very fit man,” after Game 3. He also said that after he recovered from the upper body injury that forced him to miss about a month around the trade, he could see him getting stronger and stronger.
“He fits with us,” Maurice said. “We have a bunch of guys who love the gym.”
Maurice said that dedication, and his intelligence, are what has allowed Marchand sustained success.
“When he came into the league, it was a way nastier league,” Maurice said. “I don’t think you survive at his size unless you are very, very smart.”
Maurice was asked what it’s like for him coaching Marchand rather than coaching against him.
“I swear less,” he said.
The Maple Leafs have spent 16 years taking Marchand’s name in vain. Marchand has 12 goals and 33 points in 31 playoff games against Toronto.
Marchant has played four seven-game series against the Leafs with the Bruins.
“With Marchand on the (third) line, it just adds more creativity to the line,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “He’s a good player, makes plays. Subtle little things he does on the ice. Makes it a more dangerous line offensively.”
Dmitry Kulivov got the puck to Marchand along the right boards on the game-winner and Marchant weaved across the ice, knowing Woll would have a tough time following the puck through the traffic.
“You could tell they were tired,” Marchand said. “They were sitting back. They’ve been know to be very aggressive. Really just trying to look for a lane to get it through … and get a better shot.
“In overtime there is not a bad shot you can put at the net.”
Marchand and Rielly were involved in the goal that forced overtime, too.
Panthers winger Jonah Gadjovich almost hero of the game
The Panthers were nine minutes from winning Game 3 in regulation and making fourth-line winger Jonah Gadjovich the least likely of heroes after he put Florida ahead 4-3 late in the second period.
The lone goal of the third period was credited to Rielly but caromed off three Panthers, including Marchand’s stick, Bobrovsky’s right pad and Seth Jones’ right leg, before landing in the net.
The arena was as stunned as it was the first six minutes when Toronto jumped to a 2-0 lead.
The next goal evened up the bad-bounce score when the man known as the pest was responsible for all those rats on the ice.
“He brings so much life to our team,” Carter Verhaeghe said about Marchand. “He’s so energetic. You see what he does on the ice. He scores big goals at big moments. He’s done it all.”
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
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