Marchand's historic comeback goal turns sensitive on rewatch

After Florida's stunning comeback against Carolina, a video began circulating that showed something most missed live. Right before Marchand scored his 20th goal to ignite the rally, he appeared to get his stick into Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi. It wasn't obvious in real time. On rewatch, it raised eyebrows fast.

The clip shows Marchand making contact with Bussi as traffic collapsed around the crease. There was no whistle, no review, and no reaction from officials. Play continued, and seconds later, Marchand buried the goal that started the Panthers' first ever comeback win after trailing by three in the final ten minutes of regulation.

That's where the debate lives. Was it incidental chaos in a crowded crease, or a savvy veteran toeing the line? Marchand's reputation guarantees opinions on both sides. Panthers fans see compete and awareness. Hurricanes fans see interference that should have stopped play.

What's undeniable is that nobody noticed in the moment. Not the officials, not Carolina's bench, and not most viewers until the clip surfaced online. Hockey often lives in that gray space, especially around the net when bodies and sticks converge.

From a rulebook standpoint, goalie interference is subjective by design. Officials look for clear, obvious contact that prevents a goalie from playing his position. In this case, play continued, and no review followed. That effectively closed the book on the sequence.

Emotionally, the Hurricanes had a case to be frustrated. They controlled most of the night and watched momentum flip in minutes. Losing on a goal that now feels questionable only sharpens that sting.

For Florida, the goal still counts, the comeback still happened, and history still changed. The Panthers didn't ask for help, they pressed until something broke. Marchand just happened to be at the center of it.