Marchand finding a home on Lundell’s line. The Panthers have used this blueprint before
The Florida Panthers acquire a veteran forward, one who has experience winning a Stanley Cup, at the trade deadline. After a short period of time, that player goes onto a line with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen, a duo that has been practically tethered together for Florida for the past three years, and the trio clicks almost instantly.
That story worked out well last year, when coach Paul Maurice eventually placed Vladimir Tarasenko with Lundell and Luostarinen to great success on the Panthers’ way to winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
Maurice is hoping for similar success this season, now with Brad Marchand being the veteran to join the young-yet-experienced duo of Lundell and Luostarinen down the stretch.
The three have been linemates for just three games so far, but the early results have been promising.
In just over 27-and-a-half minutes on the ice together with the game at full strength, the line of Luostarinen, Lundell and Marchand has controlled 69.09 percent of shot attempts, outshot opponents 22-9, holds an 18-8 advantage in scoring chances and has a 2-1 edge in goals scored.
“I like the way that we communicate,” Marchand said. “We talk a lot on the bench and in the room. They’re both great players. We all kind of play similar. I think we found pretty good chemistry right away. I like the way that we play. Especially since it happened early, we can continue to build on it. The more you communicate, the more reps you get together, usually the better you feel.”
Added Luostarinen: “Obviously, I’ve played with Lundy for a couple years now. With Marchy, it’s good to add a lot of experience. He works hard and obviously he can make a lot of plays.”
The chemistry turned into results on Tuesday, with Florida scoring the first two goals of its 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs with that line on the ice.
But beyond finally finding the back of the net, Maurice said he likes the combination of Marchand with Lundell and Luostarinen from the personality aspect.
“Brad is so wired into the game,” Maurice said, “and ... I think it’s good for those younger players to play with that kind of energy. He talks all the time on the bench about the game and he plays with such passion. I thought they were structured really well, and I still don’t think they’re getting any bounces around the net in the small sample size that we’ve had.”
Maurice saw this blueprint work last year.
When the Panthers acquired Tarasenko at the trade deadline last year, the veteran winger bounced around the lineup early before eventually sticking on the third line with Luostarinen and Lundell. After some growing pains to cap the regular season, the trio thrived in the playoffs. They controlled 56.42% of shot attempts, had a 50-29 advantage in scoring chances and outscored opponents 5-2.
While the personalities of Marchand and Tarasenko are different — Marchand more boisterous, Tarasenko more stoic — the impact each provides is similar.
“Vladdy talked a lot, and he made good points and made our game easier,” Luostarinen said. “He was in the right spots. Marchy’s a similar kind of guy. He works hard and talks to us about what he sees on the ice. It makes it easier for sure.”
And it makes things easier on the Panthers as well.
When the team is at full strength, or even close enough to it, the Lundell line is their third line. Having a line that dynamic with a combination of offensive scoring power and defensive responsibility can be a matchup nightmare for opponents.
“The other team will give you a matchup that you don’t mind,” Maurice said. “We can run them against the other team’s best. ... We can play that line against anybody.”
It worked out last year as Florida marched to its first Stanley Cup. The hope is that a repeat of that success is on the horizon.
Boqvist nominated for Masterton
The Florida chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association named forward Jesper Boqvist as the Panthers’ nominee for the 2024-25 Masterton Trophy, which is awarded annually to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.” Each team has one nominee for the award each year.
Boqvist signed a one-year, league-minimum deal with the Panthers this offseason after being non-tendered by the Boston Bruins, with whom he split time between the AHL and NHL, to help fortify Florida’s bottom-six forward depth following their Stanley Cup run.
Playing for his third team in six NHL seasons, Boqvist quickly became an integral part of Florida’s lineup. He has already set his single-season career-highs in goals (12) and games played (74) while tying his career-high in points (23). Boqvist was rewarded for it with a two-year contract extension on March 4.
“Going into the offseason, I didn’t know what was going on [with his future],” Boqvist said. “I think I took a good step mentally and was really ready to come here and go to work.”
.JPG)