2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Brad Marchand Brings Playoff Juice to the Florida Panthers
FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers brought in a known quantity when they traded for Brad Marchand last month.
They know him, he knows them.
Marchand, who spent all 16 of his NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins before coming to the Panthers at the NHL Trade Deadline, goes into his first postseason wearing something other than black and gold.
In his career, he has played in 157 playoff games spanning 12 seasons. His Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011, and they went to the Final two other times.
Marchand knows exactly what it is like to put up or shut up at this time of year.
He is, Sam Reinhart said, “built for this time of year. Everyone hates to play against him, but he is someone everyone would want to have.”
In those 157 games — which is more than double Sasha Barkov’s franchise-leading 71 playoff games — Marchand has 56 goals and 138 points.
The Panthers upset the Bruins in 7 in 2023, but don’t blame Marchand; he had four goals and 10 points in those games.
When the Panthers open in Tampa on Tuesday night for Game 1, Marchand will be ready to bring his best.
“This team is built to want to win, they have that drive,” Marchand said. “When you walk into that room, everyone was really excited for each and every one of us to come in and be part of the group. But, I think we were just as excited to come in and be part of an incredible group.”
Marchand, 36, has had his share of battles with the Panthers over the past few years.
But that is nothing to how he has earned his reputation as one of the most disliked players in the NHL.
“You saying people don’t like me?” he joked on Saturday.
Marchand has a definite way of getting under the skin of opponents, even famously licking Toronto’s Leo Komarov and Tampa Bay’s Ryan Callahan during the 2018 playoffs.
The NHL actually had to tell him if he did it again, there would be consequences.
So far, he has refrained from getting that close to an opponent again — although, last year, he sized up Sam Bennett as the two were headed to the bench.
Bennett saw the hit coming, turned into it, and ended up knocking Marchand out for a couple of games with a suspected concussion.
Video shows Bennett’s fist catching Marchand in the face, but Bennett has denied that it was done on purpose.
Regardless, the two are now boys and are, as they say, pulling on that same rope with the Panthers.
Brad Marchand is a member of the Panthers now, even if he still refers to his new team as “them” whenever past battles against the Bruins are brought up.
The Panthers expect to see some of that postseason grind he is famous for.
“This is a huge rivalry and those are the best series to be a part of,’’ Marchand said. “Emotions are high, intensity is through the roof, and there is obviously a lot of history there. I am really looking forward to being part of this group, going to battle with the guys.”
2025 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND: GAME 1
FLORIDA PANTHERS at TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
- When: Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.
- Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa
- Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FtL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
- National TV: ESPN
- Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
- Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
- Series Schedule — Game 1 at Tampa: Tuesday, 8:30; Game 2 at Tampa: Thursday, 6:30; Game 3 at Florida: Saturday, 1; Game 4 at Florida: Monday, April 28 (TBA); Game 5* at Tampa: Wednesday, April 30 (TBA); Game 6* at Florida: Friday, May 2 (TBA); Game 7* at Tampa: Sunday, May 4 (TBA).
- Season Series (Tied 2-2)
- All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 79-53-19, 10 ties
- All-Time Postgame Series: Tampa Bay Leads 2-1 (won 2021 first-round, 2022 ECS); Florida d. Lightning 4-1 in 2024 first-round.
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