Introduction to a Pivotal Moment
It’s a moment one could say changed the course of two franchises. A moment that may have set the tone for the Florida Panthers winning the last two Stanley Cup championships. A moment that, for the people involved, prompts the same question to this day. That question: “What if?” What if Brad Marchand scored what would have been a series-clinching goal on a breakaway in the final moments of Game 5 of the 2023 first-round series between his top-seeded Boston Bruins — a team that broke the NHL record for wins in a regular season — against the eighth-seeded Panthers?
The Situation
Florida had little realistic chance of winning that 2023 series. The Panthers didn’t even qualify for the playoffs until after their next-to-last game of the regular season, grabbing the final spot by finishing one point ahead of Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Florida had 92 points, the fewest of any team in the 16-team playoff field. Boston had 135 points, an NHL record. “We’re kind of going up against — I mean, let’s say it for what it is — the best team in regular season history here,” Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said going into the series.
The Faceoff, 7.7 Seconds Left
It was 3-3 with 7.7 seconds left, with a faceoff happening in Florida’s offensive zone. “I was thinking overtime,” Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky said. Marchand had other ideas. Florida’s Sam Reinhart took the draw against Boston’s Patrice Bergeron. Reinhart won the faceoff, sending the puck back toward Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour. It never got there. Marchand read the play perfectly and got his stick on the puck, knocking it past Montour and down the ice.
The Countdown
Time was ticking. There were about six seconds left when Marchand touched the puck. About five seconds left when it crossed the blue line. About four seconds left when it reached center ice. About three seconds left when it crossed the other blue line. Marchand was giving chase. The only thing between he and Bobrovsky was the puck. “I looked up at the clock and I saw there was maybe five or six seconds left,” Marchand said. “So, I was trying to count down in my head because the last thing I wanted to do was miss an opportunity because I ran out of clock time. I was counting down on my head as I was getting closer.”
The Save
Marchand, skating as fast as he could, devised a plan. He wanted to deke once he got to the puck. He figured with as much speed as he had, it would be easy: Get Bobrovsky to move one way, slide the puck into whatever side of the net opened up, send Bruins fans home happy, send the Panthers home for the summer. Turns out, the countdown clock in his head was going a little more quickly than the actual clock. “I felt I was running out of time, so then I just tried to shoot and I kind of panicked,” Marchand said. “And I tried to shoot low block, which I never, ever do.” Bobrovsky said he was trying to guess what Marchand would do. “I think he was thinking something else,” Bobrovsky said.
Aftermath
Bobrovsky was ready, just like he has been time and time and time again 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. But in April 2023, he was not a wall. He was more like an afterthought. He got sick before what basically was a must-win game at Toronto late in the regular season. Alex Lyon — on a two-way contract, making roughly one-tenth of Bobrovsky’s salary — got the start that night and won. Then he kept winning. The net was his. Bobrovsky was a backup and didn’t get into a game again until midway through the third period of Game 3.
The Butterfly Effect
It’s called “the butterfly effect,” which mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz loosely defined as something as slight as a butterfly flapping its wings could eventually lead to a tornado. In short, a small thing can lead to really big things. Marchand missed on a breakaway. Bobrovsky made a save. Small things. The Panthers have won the last two Stanley Cups. Marchand got traded to Florida. The Panthers get championship rings again on Monday. Another banner goes up on Tuesday. Big things. “A butterfly flapped his wings somewhere in the world and Marchy didn’t score,” Ekblad said. “We’ll take it.”
Conclusion
The moment lasted 7.7 seconds, start to finish. That was 2 1/2 years ago. It still resonates. The Panthers have been to the last three Stanley Cup Finals, winning the last two. Marchand joined Florida last season and without him, it’s fair to say the Panthers probably wouldn’t be back-to-back champs. And if he had just scored on that breakaway … what if? “Ultimately,” Marchand told The Associated Press after a Panthers practice last week, “I’m here now because of it.” The Bruins weren’t the same after that series. They lost in the second round to the Panthers in 2024; Florida went on to win its first Cup. Boston opened last season at Florida and Marchand was convinced after just that game that the Panthers would go back-to-back as champions.
FAQs
Q: What was the score when Marchand had his breakaway opportunity?
A: The score was 3-3 with 7.7 seconds left in Game 5 of the 2023 first-round series.
Q: Who made the save on Marchand’s breakaway attempt?
A: Sergei Bobrovsky made the save.
Q: What happened after Bobrovsky made the save?
A: The Panthers went on to win the game in overtime, courtesy of a goal from Matthew Tkachuk, and eventually won the series.
Q: How did the outcome of that series affect the future of the teams involved?
A: The Panthers went on to win the last two Stanley Cup championships, while the Bruins have not been a real contender since.
Q: What does Marchand think about the missed opportunity now?
A: Marchand believes that things happened for a reason and that he was meant to win with the Panthers last year.
