‘He just finds a way’: Panthers’ Brad Marchand, at 37, has another big playoff moment
Anton Lundell retrieved the puck on the left side of the defensive zone midway through double overtime, took a couple strides and saw Brad Marchand streaking toward the neutral zone uncontested.
“He’s a fast guy,” Lundell said. “I saw him open. I just tried to give him the puck.”
Once Marchand got the puck on his stick, he was off to the races. He charged down the ice, pushing toward the net on a breakaway. As he prepared to take his shot, Marchand felt a backcheck from Leon Draisaitl, trying to stymie the attempt and keep the game alive.
Marchand adjusted on the fly. He moved the puck to his backhand and flicked it past Stuart Skinner.
Marchand, at 37 years old, is the hero once again.
His second goal of the game sealed the Florida Panthers’ 5-4 double overtime victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, a win that leveled the best-of-7 series at 1-1 as it now shifts to South Florida for the next two games.
Marchand leapt in the air before being mobbed by his teammates as the euphoria of the win took over.
“Pure excitement and adrenaline for the whole group,” Marchand said. “It’s obviously a very important game for our team. We all knew we were one shot away, and luckily it went our way. You can tell the excitement that we had in that moment for sure.”
Marchand has had his share of big moments in the playoffs throughout his career. He had 13 postseason game-winners, including three in overtime, during his first 15 seasons with the Boston Bruins before being traded to the Panthers in March.
On this run into the Stanley Cup Final, on this chance for Marchand to win the Cup for the second time in his career, he has seven goals, 17 points and a pair of overtime winners.
Three of his seven goals have come in the first two games of this Stanley Cup Final series, giving him 10 in his career — the most among active players and making him one of just 37 players in NHL history with double-digit goals in the Stanley Cup Final in his career.
“He enjoys the moment,” forward Evan Rodrigues said. “He doesn’t shy away from it. He’s not worried about making a mistake, per se. He goes out there, he competes and he lives and dies by his game. He’s done a great job for us, and we’ll need him to continue to do that.”
Added defenseman Nate Schmidt: “He just finds a way. He did a great job throughout the game, finding open ice around their net, and I think he just, I dunno, just shoved a pitchfork or however he gets it in there. We’ll take it.”
They’ll take everything Marchand has to offer. Obviously his production on the ice has been critical as Florida attempts to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
But what he provides off the ice is just as critical.
He’s vocal. He’s brash. He’s authentic.
“Brad’s an honest man, and that’s why he fits in our room,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “He loves the game. He loves the people around him. He’s very open, very gregarious, so he just fits right in. He’s completely accepted. An incredibly positive human being. He’s up and down our bench all the time just pumping tires, stay in the fight. He is going to be the same way at breakfast tomorrow morning. He’s just going to be jacked, high-fiving everybody at the table.”
And he’s defying the clock while he does it.
At the ripe age of 37 years and 26 days old, Marchand became the fourth-oldest player in NHL history to score an overtime goal in the Stanley Cup Final, behind Igor Larionov (41 years, 187 days; Game 3 in 2002), Steve Thomas (39 years, 322 days; Game 4 in 2003) and Ron Francis (39 years, 95 days; Game 1 in 2002).
He plays with the joy and youthful exuberance of the rookie who has the experience of a veteran who has seen 1,276 NHL games between the regular season and the playoffs.
“He could play till he’s 47 the way he’s going,” star Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk said. “Unreal player, unreal competitor. He’s scored, when you think about it, two of our biggest goals than playoffs so far. Hopefully he can keep it going.”
Marchand’s goals — he also scored on a shorthanded breakaway in the second period — helped give the Panthers life in this series after it almost slipped away from them again.
Florida saw a two-goal lead in Game 1 slip away when it gave up a goal in the second, another in the third and lost with 31 seconds left in the first overtime.
In Game 2 on Friday, the Panthers led 4-3 after two periods — overcoming a wild, five-goal first period after which they trailed 3-2 by scoring twice in the second — and was in control for most of the third period until Corey Perry scored with 17.8 seconds left to tie it and force overtime for a second consecutive game.
“Obviously you’re disappointed they tied it up like that, but the emotion on the bench and in the room after the third, we’ve always had a very calm team,” Marchand said. “I think you draw from your experiences. We do a really good job of focusing on the moment. A lot of guys have been through big moments, and we have a lot of really good leaders on this team, so you just try to draw on that. It didn’t seem like there’s any panic. There’s a good feeling in the room. It doesn’t faze guys. You can’t let it this time of year.”
Florida didn’t.
It weathered through the first overtime, one in which Edmonton had a 13-8 edge in shots on goal and waited for its opportunity to strike.
It came 8:05 into the second overtime, with Marchand’s breakaway ending the game and tying the series.
“It’s just a huge play at a huge time and he’s been incredible for us this whole playoffs,” center Sam Bennett said. “He’s scoring massive goals at massive times. That one was definitely the biggest.”
This story was originally published June 7, 2025 at 2:33 AM.
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