Brad Marchand enjoyed one heck of a game, scoring two goals in the Florida Panthers momentum-swinging Game 5 win over the Edmonton Oilers. It was even more impressive, given the fact that the Panthers collapsed in Game 4, allowing the Oilers back in the series.
Heading into Game 5, I thought to myself, “The Oilers got the momentum and home-ice advantage. If the Panthers want to win this game, they need to steal it back. Somehow.” Well, just look to the seasoned veteran in Brad Marchand, and steal it back they did.
Marchand had a game for the ages, and really, so did the Panthers. They came out, hit the Oilers hard, played smart hockey, and were a composed team that put their Game 4 debacle behind them. You couldn’t ask for a better way to respond following that loss.
Florida Panthers on the brink of a back-to-back as Game 6 looms
The Panthers put on a master class for how you bounce back from a heart-breaking loss, and it's veterans like Brad Marchand who need to lead the charge in situations like these. The Panthers could've folded. They could've had it in their heads that the Oilers could come back and get the best of them once again if they built a three-goal lead. But it didn't happen.
Instead, they reverted to the same team that crushed the Oilers in Game 3, and looked like absolute pros. It wasn't the most exciting game in the world that didn't see a ton of shots on goal and even fewer body checks, something you'd think the opposite would've been the case with the stakes so high.
Nope, it was seasoned veterans like Marchand who understood the assignment, and did their part to put themselves within one game of winning their second straight championship. And now, they can do so on their home ice if they look the way they did tonight.
Dynasty forthcoming should the Panthers close out the series?
You're looking at a team that, in this decade, won the Presidents' Trophy, knocked off two Presidents' Trophy winners, have been to three straight Stanley Cup Finals matchups, and might just win a second one. Yeah, I'd say a dynasty is forthcoming should the Cats win their second straight Cup.
And it's coming at a time when they could've bowed out, with a red-hot Oilers team getting the best of them in Game 1. They never flinched, as the Panthers came back and won Games 2 and 3, before that forgettable debacle in Game 4.
Twice, the Oilers had momentum in this series and twice, the Panthers took it away from them. They can thank Brad Marchand for scoring that first goal before putting another one through to the net later in the game that helped them regain momentum. It's experienced players like Marchand, coming in with the ghosts of Game 4 behind him, who are going to win the Cup for this Panthers team.
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