Brad Marchand's winning OT goal secures Minnesota Wild's 4-3 win over Florida Panthers

Brad Marchand made a big and prompt statement with his performance in his first game back in action on Saturday, netting two goals, one of which was in overtime, as the Florida Panthers overcame the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in a thrilling NHL contest played on Saturday at Grand Casino Arena. The skilled forward, who had not played in seven games, remembered his ability to score some big goals with what turned out to be the winner in overtime, 3 minutes into it.
The win proved important for Florida as they continue chasing consistency in an extremely competitive race in the standings. With special teams providing them with extra feed, responding appropriately in numerous instances, and having their best players contribute significantly offensively, Florida picked up their second straight win, as well as its fifth in its last seven contests, while Minnesota managed just one point after an exciting battle.

Brad Marchand gives Minnesota Wild game-winning goal after returning from undisclosed injury

The Florida Panthers scored first halfway through the first period as Sam Reinhart scored on a rebound in the slot over goaltender Filip Gustavsson to give the Panthers an early jump in the game.
The Wild scored their first goal in kind by swiftly capitalizing on their power play as Kirill Kaprizov scored following an inventive play by Matt Boldy in front of the net.
For Florida, Brad Marchand’s return after an injury played host as he scored with just under three minutes remaining in the first period, netting a power-play goal as his wrist shot with his backhand fooled Gustavsson and gave his team life. The game flow was again irregular, with more specials being called.
The overtime was all Marchand. Carter Verhaeghe created space for himself, found Marchand in stride, and the veteran winger flicked the puck into the net for a winning score. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 18 for a solid goaltending effort, while Matthew Tkachuk added two helpers in a balanced attacking effort.
For Minnesota, both Kaprizov and Boldy registered one goal and one assist apiece, while Gustavsson kicked out 30 shots on goal for the team amid a strong performance despite falling short. The Wild were not totally efficient on specials but struggled to close out an otherwise strong game.
The aspect of this result, however, also accentuated Florida's rising momentum and the need of the hour with Marchand's inclusion back into the game. The way ahead could be crucial with this Florida side, and this game could be significant with this impact on displays as they move through the season.


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