Marchand's seamless fit with Panthers on display with Game 3 OT goal

SUNRISE, Fla. – Brad Marchand had been in Florida for less than a month when the Florida Panthers headed up to Toronto for a game near the end of the regular season. There was snow in Toronto, a snowstorm, and Marchand felt himself becoming annoyed, outraged even.

“I got way too comfortable, way too quick,” he said, his body suddenly betraying him after a lifetime spent in the northern climes of Halifax and Boston.

And while he was speaking about the weather then, about the luxury of 80-degree days in the middle of the hockey season, he could also have been speaking about his fit with the Panthers.

It has been that good. It has been that easy.

It has been that seamless, exactly what general manager Bill Zito hoped for – and perhaps exactly what the Toronto Maple Leafs feared. Because there, again, yet again, was Marchand at the biggest moments of their latest, biggest game, victimizing them in the way that he has for more than a decade, and then celebrating with the Panthers like he’s been part of them forever.

With the Panthers staring at the possibility of a 3-0 series deficit after going down by two goals twice in Game 3, Marchand instead lifted them to a win on Friday at Amerant Bank Arena, with a wrist shot that deflected off Morgan Rielly and past Joseph Woll and into the net, giving the Panthers the 5-4 victory 15:27 into overtime. The Panthers now trail the Maple Leafs 2-1 in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference Second Round, with Game 4 set for Sunday.

“You could tell they were tired,” Marchand said. “They were just kind of sitting back. They’re normally very aggressive and they were collapsed pretty low. So really just trying to look towards finding a lane to get it through. … Really just kind of coming in and trying to change the angle and get a better shot.

“There’s some traffic in front and in overtime, there’s not a bad shot you can put at the net. Obviously, a fortuitous bounce, but that’s what happens when you put pucks there.”

And what was that like? What did it feel like to come through, yet again, at a crucial time in a crucial game?

“It’s a blur, honestly,” Marchand said. “It all happens very quick and you’re exhausted at that point in the game. It’s one second of a game. It could be anybody. I think what creates those opportunities are the guys doing the job that lead up to that moment.”

It was Marchand’s 12th goal and 33rd playoff point in 31 games against the Maple Leafs, tying Henri Richard for the third-most playoff points against Toronto all-time. He trails only Gordie Howe’s 53 points in 55 games and Alex Delvecchio’s 35 points in 41 games.

“He’s been outstanding for us in the locker room, on the ice as well,” goalie Sergei Bobrovsky said. “He’s a good leader. It’s great to have him on our side. I’ve been competing against him all my life. He’s been scoring on me all the time. It’s great to have him on our side now.”

It is a much better experience.

“I swear less,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice quipped.

Two days shy of his 37th birthday, Marchand became the oldest player (36 years, 363 days) in Panthers history with an overtime goal, beating Mike Hough (33 years, 96 days) in Game 5 of the 1996 Conference Semifinals.

It was his fourth career playoff overtime goal, behind only the five of Patrick Kane, Corey Perry and Carter Verhaeghe, who assisted on the goal, for the most among active players. It was his 14th career playoff game-winner, giving him the most among active players.

Marchand in these playoffs has looked far less than his age, playing on a third line that has often been the Panthers’ best, alongside Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen.

“With Marchand on the line, it just adds more creativity to the line,” Maple Leafs 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.”

After 16 years with the Boston Bruins, Marchand appears like an integral part of a team that he so recently was at war with, from Evan Rodrigues shooting a rat at Marchand on the ice after it was over to the jibes with Verhaeghe at the postgame press conference to the ways in which the enemy has become accepted as their own.

“Coming in, everybody embraced me and welcomed me and I feel like I’ve built some really, really good friendships already, in a very short period of time,” Marchand said.

From a player that they battled with, hated even, Marchand has become one of them.

“He brings so much life to our team,” Verhaeghe said, sitting next to Marchand at the podium. “He’s so energetic. And obviously you see what he does on the ice. He’s such a great player and been around for so long. He’s a player, a performer, and he scores big goals at big moments. He’s done it all, won a Stanley Cup. He brings so much life and energy to our group.”

It was at that moment that Marchand lifted his right hand in front of his mouth.

He whispered, sotto voce, “Good looking,” his trademark smirk in place under his playoff mustache.

Verhaeghe couldn’t help but chuckle. It was classic Marchand, after all.

“Good looking too,” he said.