SUNRISE - Brad Marchand returned from surgery months ahead of the original November timetable and scored with 1:50 left in the third period to force overtime, but the Florida Panthers fell 3-2 to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night in a game that exposed how much work the veteran forward still has ahead of him.
“It was sort of a rude awakening being out there,” Marchand said after the loss, as Florida Hockey Now reported. “I only had a few morning skates, practices with the guys. The speed of the game and the intensity certainly ramped up a ton.”
The Panthers had shut Marchand down last March hoping rest would allow him to avoid surgery. He ended up going under the knife in August, with the team estimating he would not return until November at the earliest. Coach Paul Maurice limited him to just 13:10 of ice time Sunday in his first game since March 6 - nearly six months off the ice.
“But it was great to be back out there. It’s going to take some time to get the timing and everything back, but it’s incredible being back out there, being part of the group,” Marchand said.
The loss extended a peculiar franchise record: Florida has now gone to overtime in each of its first three games of a season for the first time in franchise history. The Ducks scored all three of their goals on the power play, compounding the Panthers’ penalty-kill problems on a night when Marchand’s presence was needed most. With captain Sasha Barkov sidelined at least three weeks with a suspected left knee injury, Marchand slotted into a line alongside Sam Reinhart - playing center for the first time since his days with the Buffalo Sabres - and Brady Tkachuk.
Maurice liked what he saw despite the result. “When he touches the puck, something is happening,” the coach said of Marchand. “He’s really competitive, as they learned. He’s an unusual player, and as his linemates get more comfortable with him, they’ll be able to do some things.”
Marchand acknowledged he is still finding his footing. “The potential is there for sure. They are both incredible players, make good plays,” he said of his new linemates. “I’ve only been skating for a month now. So, I kind of bring them down a little bit, just with my timing and the speed and all of that. We’re working through that together. But, when I get back up to speed, we have great potential to be a really good line.”
Defenseman Aaron Ekblad left the team to return to South Florida for the birth of his first child with wife Dayna and will miss his second straight game Tuesday when the Panthers face the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto Arena at 10 p.m. Maurice said Ekblad will not fly back west and will rejoin the team when it returns home. The Panthers and Kings have met 48 times in the regular season, with Los Angeles holding a 27-17-1 edge with three ties. Florida won their most recent meeting 2-0. The Panthers return home Saturday at 6 p.m. for their home opener against the Minnesota Wild.