Obhájci Stanley Cupu na startu série tým Hurricanes zkušeně rozebrali, a domácím tekly nervy. Marchand za stavu 4:1 pro Panthers ve třetí třetině zkoušel trefit u mantinelu Shaynea Gostisbeherea. Obránce Caroliny se střetu na poslední chvíli vyhnul, za několik sekund ale cíleně vypálil pukem na forčekujícího Marchanda, což později sám přiznal.
Floridský veterán si to pochopitelně nenechal líbit a strhla se krátká bitka. Rozdělení trestů ovšem hostující lavičku dost překvapilo. Gostisbehere vyvázl jen s dvojkou za hrubost, zatímco Marchand inkasoval 2+2 a navrch desítku za vyprovokování bitky.
„Mám na to názor, ale nechám si ho pro sebe,“ poznamenal kouč Panthers Paul Maurice. „Každý hráč by měl mít právo hájit se v bitce, když do něj někdo cíleně napálí puk. Proč ho nemá Marchand?,“ ptají se fanoušci Floridy. V samotném závěru do Gostisbeherea ještě zajeli Jonah Gadjovich a A.J. Greer, aby ukázali, jak Panthers drží při sobě.
Sedmatřicetiletého kapitána Marchanda vyměnil Boston před uzávěrkou přestupů, což vyvolalo veliké pozdvižení. Soupeři Floridy, která už ve svých řadách má známé provokatéry Matthewa Tkachuka a Sama Bennetta, se křižovali.
Marchand ovšem není jen zuřivá kulička nenávisti, ale pořád i pekelně dobrý hráč. Ze 13 utkání letošního play off má bilanci 3+9. Na vítězství v sedmém zápase druhého kola v Torontu (6:1) se podílel gólem a dvěma asistencemi. A také sérii s Hurricanes začal od podlahy, během 13 minut rozdal čtyři bodyčeky. Na sklonku kariéry by si rád zopakoval euforické pocity se Stanley Cupem, který v Bostonu vyhrál v roce 2011.
Loňští šampioni ukázali sílu a zkušenosti, když dokonale zaskočili odpočatější hráče Caroliny, nad nimiž stále visí záhadné prokletí. Pro Hurricanes to byla třináctá porážka v konferenčním finále v řadě. Nezvládli ho v roce 2009 s Pittsburghem, v roce 2019 s Bostonem a předloni prohráli 0:4 na zápasy i s Floridou, ačkoli všechny výsledky byly jen o gól. A přestože Carolina v letošním play off dosud vyhrála pět domácích utkání v řadě, v noci na středu si ve finále konference opět zoufala.
„Pokud máte účinný styl hry, nezáleží až tolik na tom, jak se cítí vaše tělo. Od začátku jsem viděl, že naši hráči jsou na tom výborně. Povedlo se nám do zápasu dobře naskočit, rychle jsme dali dva góly a utišili jsme domácí fanoušky,“ těšilo floridského kouče Maurice. A věří, že něco podobného předvedou Panthers znovu i v noci na pátek.
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