The Florida Panthers overcame what could have been a soul-crushing late tying goal by Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry with just 18 seconds remaining in regulation in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final thanks to some clutch heroics from Brad Marchand.
Marchand scored two goals during the game, including the game-winner in double overtime when he beat Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner with a sneaky backhand shot on a partial breakaway, giving Florida a 5-4 victory to even up the series at one win apiece.
To say that Marchand’s teammates enjoy having him on their side now would be an understatement. Matthew Tkachuk, who faced off against Marchand twice in the Stanley Cup Playoffs during his time with the Boston Bruins, said he much prefers being his teammate rather than his opponent and believes he can play well into his 40s, via The Athletic.
“He could play till he’s 47 the way he’s going,” Tkachuk said. “Unreal player, unreal competitor. He’s scored, if you think about it, two of our biggest goals in the playoffs so far.”
“Playoffs aside, I think his best strength as a player, like he’s really skilled, hard on pucks, wants the puck, but his anticipation and his just being in the right spots and his hockey sense, it’s unbelievable,” Tkachuk continued. “You see it tonight, two breakaway goals, just seeing a play, seeing it go to a player, and he’s gone and gets an unbelievable chance.
“I saw that a ton from him in Boston, and it’s waaaaay better seeing it here.”
Marchand, Tkachuk and the Panthers return to the friendly confines of Amerant Bank Arena for Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, which resume on Monday evening beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Panthers love what Brad Marchand has brought to the team
Once a despised opponent, Marchand is now with the Panthers and helped them overcome a two-game series deficit in the Conference Semi Final against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which included a clutch three-point performance in the decisive Game 7.
Thanks to Marchand’s clutch play, he’s helped the Panthers get to within three victories of their second consecutive Stanley Cup win. As he broke in on Stuart Skinner, his teammates all stood up on the bench in anticipation moments before they poured onto the ice to celebrate the win with him.
“I think our whole bench stood up when he had a breakaway there,” said teammate Sam Bennett. “It’s just a huge play at a huge time and he’s been incredible for us this whole playoffs. He’s scoring massive goals at massive times. That one was definitely the biggest.”
Marchand now has seven goals with 10 assists so far in the postseason for Florida.
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