This vision undoubtedly made even the toughest Boston Bruins supporters feel nauseous.
After participating in over 1,200 regular-season and playoff games with the Spoked-B emblem, Brad Marchand now sports a Florida Panthers uniform. Adding insult to injury for Boston fans, Marchand notched his initial assist on a play that sent Sam Bennett into scoring mode, securing an overtime victory for the Panthers.
You've seen how determined this player is, along with his physicality and intensity," said Panthers coach Paul Maurice to reporters prior to Marchand's first game last week. "But when you see him in practice, you think, 'Wow, he has such agility.' It starts to dawn on you just how high his skill level really is.
Marchand is acutely familiar with the cutthroat nature of the Atlantic Division, which adds an extra dose of chaos to the race for the top spot. The Panthers trail the Toronto Maple Leafs by two points entering Their important game on Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena The Tampa Bay Lightning sit between them with 93 points. Each of these three teams has eight games remaining. (There’s a 42.7 percent probability that Toronto and Florida will face each other in the first round of the playoffs.)
Maurice has placed Marchand, who just came back from an upper-body injury that kept him out for much of March, alongside Bennett and rookie Mackie Samoskevich. This combination hasn’t found their rhythm initially, failing to net a single goal during even-strength play after logging 22 minutes and 36 seconds of ice time together. During this period, they have managed only 40.9 percent of the anticipated expected goals. Meanwhile, against Florida, these players were on the ice as opponents generated more significant chances, totaling nine compared to ten by the team featuring them.
In contrast to his role in Boston, where he consistently played with the Bruins' top power-play unit, Marchand has been placed on Florida's second unit along with Anton Lundell, Evan Rodrigues, Carter Verhaegue, and Nate Schmidt since being traded. This move has reduced his average power-play ice time significantly, dropping from 3 minutes and 18 seconds per game to just under 2 minutes per game.
Nevertheless, the Panthers didn’t sign Marchand with the intention of making him their main scoring threat. Before the start of the 2022-23 campaign, Maurice compared Marchand’s situation to that of Eric Staal joining the team. Like Staal—a former captain and Stanley Cup champion—Marchand agreed to take on a reduced role in pursuit of another title opportunity.
We brought in a really talented player, without a doubt," Maurice commented regarding Marchand. "However, the main advantage is adding an enthusiastic veteran who understands his career isn’t going to last another decade. He’s entering the later stages of his career, and such players value each day they spend on the ice.
Maurice also stated to journalists on Tuesday that "Marchand doesn’t face an adaptation period regarding our style of play." At even strength, Florida’s 58.5 percent zone entry rate via dumps ranks as the second highest in the NHL. This strategy has led them to create the second most offensive opportunities through their aggressive forechecking approach, with an average of 2.31 such instances per match. Additionally, they’ve managed to score 26 goals within five seconds after causing turnovers, placing them fourth overall in this category across the league.
Florida’s tough style fits perfectly with Marchand, who always seems ready to hassle his adversaries. He ranks 20th among 364 forwards, with at least 500 minutes played at 5-on-5 this season, for offensive-zone puck recoveries at a rate of 8.74 per 20 minutes.
Bennett informed journalists, "No matter what it takes, he will secure victory." He continued, "(We're) undoubtedly thrilled to have such an asset on our side rather than facing him as opposition anymore.... Acquiring someone of his caliber with so many years of experience under his belt is simply amazing. Our squad was quite assured even prior to making this addition. Now that he’s part of our lineup, it bolsters our faith in each other significantly."
Marchand's last two campaigns concluded with losses against the Panthers. Unable to defeat them previously, he now finds himself joining forces with them in their quest for consecutive titles.
It’s rare to find yourself as part of such a team," Marchand stated to journalists. "Over the years, I've played with many groups, and you can tell right away when things are extraordinary. When you enter a truly remarkable space, you recognize it immediately. This is what they possess here, and it's exactly what everyone aspires to join.
All stats via Sportlogiq
