From beautiful gestures to an ugly finish

Before the game on Tuesday, Florida honored Brad Marchand for his 1,000th NHL point with a full pregame ceremony at Amerant Bank Arena. Marchand, 37, hit the mark on Nov. 13 with two assists against Washington.

The whole build felt personal, not just «nice job, next.» The Panthers even played a congratulations montage that included Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Sidney Crosby, the kind of names that make you remember how long Marchand's road has been.

It also looked like the room bought in, with teammates leaning into the moment and Marchand's family right in the middle of it. He was drafted 71st overall by Boston in 2006, and nights like this are a reminder that nothing about his career arc was handed to him.

Then he did the most Marchand thing possible, he made sure the night had a hockey memory too. He scored a power-play goal and pointed straight up to his family in the suite, a little dedication that said everything without a speech.

I'm all for Marchand's fire, but watching a celebration turn into tension felt like the air got sucked out.

That goal mattered, because he came in leading Florida's scoring, and the tally pushed him to 45 points on the season. It was his 23rd goal, and he made sure his family got it first.

Unfortunately, that same intensity bit Florida in overtime when Marchand was called for roughing Mike Matheson after high contact along the wall. Montreal scored on the four-on-three, and the celebration night suddenly had a sour stamp on it.

What got lost in the noise is that the game itself was terrific, fast pace, skilled touches, and very little space for either side. Two good teams played a clean brand of hockey for long stretches, which made the ending feel even sharper.

As for discipline, it is a fair question, but there is nothing official to react to yet. It's a tough ending to an emotional night, and now Marchand and the Panthers have to make sure the next big moment ends with hands up, not hands to the face.