The Florida Panthers mounted a historic comeback in record time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, rallying from down 1-2 to a 3-2 lead in just 11 seconds. After the impressive triumph, to take a 3-1 series lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brad Marchand voiced a powerful five-word comment, which could serve as a reminder for the Bolts and the rest of the NHL.
Tampa had scored two goals in 11 seconds shortly after Aaron Ekblad delivered a brutal blow to Brandon Hagel’s head, forcing the Lightning forward to miss the rest of the game. Ekblad’s hit went uncalled by the officials, and Jon Cooper’s team fed off that anger, scoring twice in less than a quarter of a minute, to take an unexpected lead as Florida had been in control all night long.
The Panthers were having flashbacks of Game 3, as they had scored the first goal but the Lightning rallied from behind. It seemed Tampa would win both games on the road, but Florida had an ace under their sleeve. Marchand and the Cats weren’t planning on letting go off the gas pedal, and they pushed the pace until the dam finally broke.
As destiny would have it, it was Ekblad, who many argued should’ve been assessed a game-misconduct, who scored the game-tying goal after Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed a rebound on a shot he would love to have back. The Lightning were unable to withstand the Panthers and their fans’ electric pressure, conceding the game-winning goal to Seth Jones off a seemingly harmless shot from the blue-line.
Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers skates against the Montreal Canadiens at Amerant Bank Arena on March 30, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida.
Just like that, the Cats were back on the scoreboard, and Marchand and the Panthers are now taking a 3–1 lead as the series shifts to Tampa. After the crucial triumph on home ice, Marchand dropped a blunt five-word statement.
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“Belief is a dangerous thing,” Brad Marchand reminded Tampa about Florida during his postgame press conference. “And we had that. You could feel it. I don’t think we’re sitting on the bench thinking we are going back to 2-2.”
Adverse situation
After winning both games on the road, the Panthers returned to Sunrise hoping for a sweep, to avenge their defeat to Tampa during the 2021-22 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, after losing Game 3 and being down in Game 4, it seemed momentum was now in the Lightning’s side.
Marchand admitted they couldn’t afford to lose focus, choosing instead to lock in on each play. The approach clearly paid off, as the Panthers now have the Lightning with their backs against the wall as the Battle of Florida shifts to Amalie Arena.
You’re in the moment,” Marchand added. “You can’t let your mind wander to what’s going to happen in the future, something that’s out of your control. The best athletes just worry about what is in their ability to control, and I think that’s all we were worried about, was the next shift, the next moment. But you can’t let your mind wander.”
Aaron Ekblad #5 of the Florida Panthers celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Four of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena on April 28, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida.
Hagel’s dramatic series
Brandon Hagel has taken over the spotlight during the playoff series, but not for the best reasons. Hagel received a one-game suspension after delivering a blindside hit to a defenseless Aleksander Barkov during Game 2. He returned to the lineup in Game 4, but his night was cut short after Ekblad ran him over with a vicious body check, which included an unpenalized elbow to the chin.
Hagel was tested for a concussion and didn’t return during the game. The Battle of Florida keeps on adding more layers of hatred to their rivalry in the NHL, as every game there’s a new controversy.
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“It’s getting tiresome answering questions about a hit every single game,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said postgame.
Ekblad, who missed the first two games of the series due to a 20-game suspension for violating the NHL and NHL Players’ Association’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), has been called to a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety.
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The Battle of Florida continues to escalate, dangerously skirting the line between entertaining physicality and spine-tingling violence.
