Photo credit: Jeff Romance-Imagn Images
Brad Marchand, Florida Panthers power play, and a seven-game point streak all met in the Battle of Florida on Saturday.
At 37, Marchand is still producing like a top-line driver, and he now has at least one point in seven straight games. Florida didn't love the final score, but his pace and edge stayed constant.
His goal was the lone Panthers power-play marker, a quick tic-tac-toe that cracked Andrei Vasilevskiy's structure. The puck moved clean, the finish was calm, and it felt like a reward for a veteran who never floats.
What makes Marchand so important here is the way he drags the group into the fight without losing the plot. Even in a game that spiraled into 136 penalty minutes, he kept showing up for the next shift.
Brad Marchand drives Florida Panthers identity every night
You could feel the building lean in whenever he hopped over the boards.
Florida's special teams story was maddeningly simple, one goal on plenty of looks, and not enough second touches around the crease. The penalty kill did its job, holding Tampa Bay scoreless on six chances, but the power play needed one more.
The night itself was pure rivalry, 45 penalties, a second-period line brawl, and a Lightning bench that stayed crowded in the box. Those games can turn into noise, but Marchand's game stays direct, win space, talk back, and take the hit next.
It's easy to throw around the word warrior, but his resume supports it, third-round pick in 2006, still making skill plays, still leaning into contact. For Florida, that kind of commitment is contagious, especially when things get ugly.
The Panthers will be fine if they keep that standard and clean up the details, because the heart part is already handled. Marchand has made sure of that, and the next chapter won't be far away.