After the Florida Panthers took the series 4-1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Matthew Tkachuk shared some thoughts on Brad Marchand, saying, “It’s been unreal having him in. And he’s got what everybody wants in this league, and that’s that winning pedigree and being a champion and having that experience. And I think that’s what our team’s greatest strength is…we might not be the most skilled team, we might not be the most fast, we might not be the most physical, but we’re a deep team and we have the experience.”
So, even though Marchand was with Team Canada a few months back and Tkachuk was on Team USA, there’s no bad blood between them. They’re actually good teammates now, playing together for the Florida Panthers in the NHL. Chucky really admired Marchand’s talent and even pointed out how tough he plays on the ice. So, even though the Panthers are behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are up 2-0 in Round 2, some of Marchand’s teammates are really valuing his presence on the team.
At a press conference, Sam Reinhart mentioned, “Yeah, I mean, I think what he brings off the ice speaks for itself. You know I’ve been fortunate enough to play a lot of minutes with Lenny and Lucy as well so I know what a pleasure it is as well, you know, playing with them. But he’s such a competitor, you know he’s looking to make a difference every shift he’s out there. You know, I think that shows.”
Reinhart pointed out just how crucial Marchand’s competitiveness is, even when he’s not on the ice. He mentioned that Marchand is always looking to make an impact every time he’s on the ice, demonstrating that kind of relentless energy and focus that’s so important in the postseason. Reinhart shared how much he’s enjoyed playing with Lenny and Lucy — those are his go-to linemates Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen — but he definitely emphasized that Marchand has really added something special to the group.
Similarly, Anton Lundell shared, “Yeah I mean I feel like me and Lucy we’ve been playing together for years and we know each other very well and whoever’s been there with us, it’s been pretty quick, quick you know chemistry and with Marchy it was right away and we got some games before the playoffs together and we just kept that momentum in their playoffs so it’s been feeling good now.”
Lundell expanded on that idea, sharing that he and Luostarinen have developed a solid chemistry from playing together for years. The addition of Marchand to their line resulted in immediate synergy, according to Lundell, who also said that the games they played together leading up to the playoffs gave them a boost. On the other hand, Marchand’s response to the most recent match was unusual.
Brad Marchand’s honest confession
“You know, their biggest threat is they’re very good on the rush. I mean, you’ve got to be above them. It seemed like every time we gave them the opportunity to get above us, they created something or capitalized on it. It doesn’t take much for them to score, you know. So we just have to make sure that we’re pretty much perfect out there on our defensive coverage,” Brad Marchand said after the Game 2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Even though they lost the game, the Panthers forward was quick to own up to the mistakes and is already looking ahead to their next match. He was also pointing out that the Maple Leafs are great at generating scoring chances, particularly when they swiftly move the puck up the ice after a turnover or a defensive stop.
Additionally, Marchand had some nice things to say about a few Maple Leafs players. He pointed out that it doesn’t take much for Toronto to find the back of the net, especially with speedy and talented forwards like Mitch Marner and William Nylander on the ice. Whenever the Panthers hit the ice, they’ve got to stay sharp and ensure their goalie isn’t left out to dry. We’ll just have to wait and see if Florida can make a comeback in Game 3.
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