Brad Marchand capped an emotional night with the decisive tally in a shootout, and the Florida Panthers held off the Dallas Stars 4-3 on Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena.
Returning to the lineup after an emotional trip to his native Nova Scotia to honor the memory of a friend’s 10-year-old daughter who recently lost her battle with cancer, Marchand made his presence felt in his first game back — scoring what stood as the winning goal in the shootout.
“Some nights are about more than hockey,” Marchand said afterward, visibly emotional. “I just wanted to play the right way and honor her the best I could.”
Marchand’s heroics capped a night of milestones and drama for Florida. Sam Reinhart scored his 300th career goal, Sam Bennett also found the back of the net, and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was stellar, stopping 20 shots — including six in overtime and five in the final 61 seconds of the extra period.
Mikko Rantanen tied the game for Dallas with 2:42 remaining in regulation, firing a wrist shot past Bobrovsky to force overtime. The Stars, despite being outshot 38–23, found ways to stay in the game thanks to opportunistic scoring and a breakout performance from Sam Steel. Steel, who entered the night with just two points all season, recorded the first three-assist game of his NHL career.
Dallas got second-period goals from Justin Kyrckowian — his first in the NHL — and Wyatt Johnston, who both scored just 14 seconds apart during a four-minute power play.
Reinhart’s milestone marker came midway through the first period when he capitalized on a rebound in front, giving Florida an early 1-0 lead. Bennett extended the lead early in the second, before Dallas stormed back with its quick pair of goals to seize brief control.
Florida regained momentum late in the period when Marchand’s relentless forecheck helped set up Reinhart’s power-play blast to even things at 2-2.
It was the first meeting between the two clubs since their back-to-back games in Finland last season — exactly one year to the day from the first of those contests. Dallas hadn’t played in Sunrise since December 6, 2023, and plenty had changed since then: the Panthers won two Stanley Cups, the Stars changed coaches from Peter DeBoer to Glen Gulutzan, and the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes had visited Florida one final time before ceasing operations in 2024.
Of the 40 players who dressed the last time Dallas and Florida met in Sunrise, only 18 took the ice on Saturday — a testament to how much has changed in both organizations.
Marchand’s shootout winner sent the Panthers to their fourth straight home victory and provided a cathartic moment for one of hockey’s most passionate competitors.
“He’s the kind of guy who can carry a team with emotion alone,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “You could feel what that goal meant — not just to him, but to everyone in that locker room.”
Stars: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Panthers: Visit the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.
