The one thing Marchand loves most about the Florida Panthers locker room

Blaylock's chat with Marchand happened earlier today, before Florida honors him in a pregame ceremony for his 1,000th career point ahead of their game against Montreal.

The clip that's making the rounds is classic Marchand, honest, a little goofy, and totally sure of himself. He says the best part of walking into Florida's room is feeling like he's 20 again, like the energy just pulls years off him.

That's the hook, but the deeper point lands harder, he still loves the grind, and he still needs the room to love him back. Marchand has talked all year about how much fun he's having, and how quickly he clicked with this group.

If you've watched this team lately, you can tell fans feel it too, because the bench looks loose even when games get tight. That «we're still kids» vibe is a real competitive edge when the schedule turns heavy.

It's not just vibes, either, Marchand's producing like a top-line driver at 37. Monday night he scored his 22nd goal, added to his 22 assists, and pushed his point streak to eight games in a 5-3 win over Washington.

Florida didn't commit long-term because he can still chirp, they committed because he still plays fast. Marchand's six-year, $31.5 million deal carries a $5.25 million cap hit, and it's structured like a contender's bet on winning habits.

He was a 2006 third-round pick, 71st overall by Boston, and he's spent his whole career making «too small» look silly. That same edge shows up in Florida's forecheck, where he hunts pucks, wins wall battles, and turns broken plays into slot touches.

The Panthers have been rolling lately, and Marchand's «feel 20» line fits the moment because it's more than a quote. It's a checkpoint, now comes the next stretch where Florida has to prove this mood travels.