FORT LAUDERDALE — It’s a second one might say modified the course of two franchises. A second that will have set the tone for the Florida Panthers profitable the final two Stanley Cup championships. A second that, for the individuals concerned, prompts the identical query to this present day.
That query: “What if?”
What if Brad Marchand scored what would have been a series-clinching objective on a breakaway within the closing moments of Recreation 5 of the 2023 first-round collection between his top-seeded Boston Bruins — a workforce that broke the NHL file for wins in a daily season — towards the eighth-seeded Panthers?
The second lasted 7.7 seconds, begin to end. That was 2 1/2 years in the past. It nonetheless resonates. The Panthers have been to the previous three Stanley Cup Finals, profitable the final two. Marchand joined Florida final season and with out him, it’s honest to say the Panthers most likely wouldn’t be back-to-back champs.
And if he had simply scored on that breakaway … what if?
“Finally,” Marchand instructed The Related Press after a Panthers apply final week, “I’m right here now due to it.”
The scenario
Florida had little practical probability of profitable that 2023 collection. The Panthers didn’t even qualify for the playoffs till after their next-to-last sport of the common season, grabbing the ultimate spot by ending one level forward of Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Florida had 92 factors, the fewest of any workforce within the 16-team playoff area. Boston had 135 factors, an NHL file.
“We’re type of going up towards — I imply, let’s say it for what it’s — the perfect workforce in common season historical past right here,” Panthers ahead Matthew Tkachuk mentioned going into the collection.
Boston received Recreation 1, Florida received Recreation 2 to steal home-ice benefit, then Boston rolled to wins in Video games 3 and 4 on the Panthers’ rink. The collection went again to Boston for Recreation 5, the Bruins on the verge of advancing.
It was 3-3 with 7.7 seconds left, with a faceoff taking place in Florida’s offensive zone.
“I used to be pondering extra time,” Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky mentioned.
Marchand had different concepts.
The faceoff, 7.7 seconds left
Florida’s Sam Reinhart took the draw towards Boston’s Patrice Bergeron. Reinhart received the faceoff, sending the puck again towards Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour. It by no means received there.
Marchand learn the play completely and received his stick on the puck, knocking it previous Montour and down the ice.
Time was ticking. There have been about six seconds left when Marchand touched the puck. About 5 seconds left when it crossed the blue line. About 4 seconds left when it reached middle ice. About three seconds left when it crossed the opposite blue line. Marchand was giving chase. The one factor between he and Bobrovsky was the puck.
”I appeared up on the clock and I noticed there was perhaps 5 – 6 seconds left,” Marchand mentioned. “So, I used to be making an attempt to rely down in my head as a result of the very last thing I wished to do was miss a possibility as a result of I ran out of clock time. I used to be counting down on my head as I used to be getting nearer.”
:05, :04, :03 …
Marchand, skating as quick as he might, devised a plan.
He wished to deke as soon as he received to the puck. He figured with as a lot velocity as he had, it will be straightforward: Get Bobrovsky to maneuver a method, slide the puck into no matter facet of the online opened up, ship Bruins followers house joyful, ship the Panthers house for the summer time.
Seems, the countdown clock in his head was going somewhat extra shortly than the precise clock.
“I felt I used to be working out of time, so then I simply tried to shoot and I type of panicked,” Marchand mentioned. “And I attempted to shoot low block, which I by no means, ever do.”
Bobrovsky mentioned he was making an attempt to guess what Marchand would do.
“I believe he was pondering one thing else,” Bobrovsky mentioned.
‘I don’t know the place I might be now’
Bobrovsky was prepared, identical to he has been time and time and time once more for Florida on these two marches to Stanley Cup titles. He has been an absolute wall for Florida in its back-to-back championship runs.
However in April 2023, he was not a wall. He was extra like an afterthought.
He received sick earlier than what mainly was a must-win sport at Toronto late within the common season. Alex Lyon — on a two-way contract, making roughly one-tenth of Bobrovsky’s wage — received the beginning that night time and received. Then he stored profitable. The online was his. Bobrovsky was a backup and didn’t get right into a sport once more till halfway by means of the third interval of Recreation 3.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice began Bobrovsky in Recreation 4, a 6-2 Boston win. Bobrovsky was the choose to start out Recreation 5 as properly; he stopped 39 of the primary 42 photographs he noticed that night time. In the intervening time that Marchand took the closing shot of regulation, Bobrovsky’s numbers for the collection have been pedestrian, an .889 save share and a 4.32 goals-against common.
“I didn’t have my finest season,” Bobrovsky mentioned. “So, if the playoffs ends the best way it might have ended proper then, like at that second, I don’t know the place I might be now.”
Marchand shot. Bobrovsky kicked his proper leg out in time. Season saved. Seeds planted.
“I keep in mind profitable the draw again and seeing the breakaway go down the opposite finish,” Reinhart mentioned. “I imply, yeah, you’re seconds away out of your season being over. I believe that 12 months there was lots of situations that if one or two issues modified and we don’t go on the run we did and we in the end don’t be taught some very worthwhile classes, we don’t get to the place we’re at.”
The save, 0.8 seconds left
Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was giving chase to Marchand, although he had no probability of stopping the breakaway. Ekblad dove, unsuccessfully, then scrambled to his knees across the time Bobrovsky was making the save.
Marchand had already skated away and was within the nook to Ekblad’s proper. Ekblad noticed the rebound within the slot with about one-tenth of a second left and intuition kicked in. He took his proper hand and smacked the puck away from the objective crease.
“Some individuals thought that was scary within the second,” Ekblad mentioned. “I used to be pushing it away. There was no manner it was stepping into.”
The Panthers would win on a objective from Tkachuk in extra time. Then they received Recreation 6. Then Recreation 7. Someway, the No. 8 seed ousted the No. 1 seed. Florida went on to the Cup closing towards Vegas, shedding in 5 video games.
The Panthers haven’t misplaced a playoff collection since. Boston hasn’t been an actual contender since. Marchand is just not why Boston misplaced that collection in 2023. In time, he’s merely conceded to himself that issues have been meant to work out the best way they did.
“I made a poor learn,” Marchand mentioned. “Bob made an incredible learn and an enormous save.”
The butterfly impact
It’s referred to as “the butterfly impact,” which mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz loosely outlined as one thing as slight as a butterfly flapping its wings might ultimately result in a twister. Briefly, a small factor can result in actually large issues.
Marchand missed on a breakaway. Bobrovsky made a save.
Small issues.
The Panthers have received the final two Stanley Cups. Marchand received traded to Florida. The Panthers get championship rings once more on Monday. One other banner goes up on Tuesday.
Large issues.
“A butterfly flapped his wings someplace on this planet, and Marchy didn’t rating,” Ekblad mentioned. “We’ll take it.”
The Bruins weren’t the identical after that collection.
They misplaced within the second spherical to the Panthers in 2024; Florida went on to win its first Cup. Boston opened final season at Florida and Marchand was satisfied after simply that sport that the Panthers would go back-to-back as champions. The Bruins sputtered final season, fell out of playoff competition and wound up buying and selling Marchand to Florida.
If he scored on that breakaway … what if?
“I don’t overthink it. One of many explanation why I’m right here is due to that play. There’s no query,” Marchand mentioned. “It occurred for a motive. We weren’t meant to win that 12 months — as a result of I used to be meant to win final 12 months right here with this workforce.”
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