Marchand becomes just second Bruins player to achieve this playoff feat originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand struggled to score goals over the final couple weeks of the regular season, but it didn’t take him long to tally his first of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The veteran forward put the Bruins up 2-0 in the second period of Monday night’s Game 1 against the Florida Panthers at TD Garden. His wrist shot beat Panthers goalie Alex Lyon, who couldn’t get his glove on the puck. It was a soft goal for Lyon to give up, but they all count the same.
The Bruins ultimately won 3-1 to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round series.
It was the 50th career playoff goal for Marchand, and as a result, he joined Bruins legend Cam Neely as the only players in franchise history to score 50 or more goals in the postseason.
Marchand has tallied 119 points (50 goals, 69 assists) in 140 career playoff games. Two of those goals came in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final against the Vancouver Canucks when the Bruins won 4-0 to secure their first championship since 1972.
Marchand rediscovering his elite goal-scoring form would be a major boost for a Bruins team facing championship expectations this spring.
