Marchand, that dude who plays hockey really well, just made history at 36 years and almost a full year old. He scored an overtime goal, making him the oldest player in Panthers playoff history to do so. That’s pretty cool, right? He beat out Mike Hough, who held the previous record at 33 years and 96 days back in 1996. Marchand now has four playoff OT goals under his belt, putting him in some elite company with only three active players ahead of him: Patrick Kane, Corey Perry, and his teammate Carter Verhaeghe.
Speaking of the game, it was a bit weird seeing Dennis Hildeby as Joseph Woll’s backup instead of Matt Murray. Turns out Murray was feeling under the weather. Craig Berube, the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, wasn’t too happy with how his team played. He thought they were way too sloppy in the second period, leading to the Panthers making a comeback. Berube thinks they need to be more direct and play a full 60 minutes. Makes sense, right?
Now, let’s talk about that crucial moment when Sam Reinhart scored in the second period. There was some debate about whether there was goaltender interference. Should they have challenged the play? Who knows? The refs decided it was a good goal, and the Panthers capitalized on that momentum to tie the game. Talk about a missed opportunity for the Leafs.
After the game, John Tavares acknowledged that they didn’t handle the pressure well, letting the Panthers rally and avoid a 3-0 series deficit. The Panthers showed some serious resilience, becoming only the 11th team in history to overcome such a deficit. Joseph Woll, the Leafs’ goalie, felt like the game could have gone either way. He knows it’s all about those bounces in hockey. Gotta shake it off and reset for the next game.
Morgan Rielly, on the other hand, was happy that they’re still up in the series despite the tough loss. He sees the physicality and bounces continuing to play a big role in the games to come. As for Sam Reinhart, he called the win “gutsy” and praised his team for sticking with it even after a rough start.
Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the stats. Toronto had 31 shots compared to Florida’s 34. The Leafs were pretty physical with 45 hits, but the Panthers outdid them with 66 hits. Penalty minutes were low on both sides, with Toronto racking up 6 and Florida with 8. Faceoff percentage favored the Leafs at 53.7%, and they won 44 faceoffs compared to Florida’s 38. Blocked shots were also in Toronto’s favor with 20 to Florida’s 14.
And finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Brad Marchand’s OT winner. The dude knows how to come up clutch in big moments, securing the win for the Panthers. It was a tough loss for the Leafs, but hey, at least they’re still up 2-1 in the series.
So, there you have it, folks. Another thrilling game in the books with plenty of drama and excitement. Can’t wait to see how the rest of the series unfolds. Let’s go Panthers!
