He’s been referred to as one of the biggest pests in today’s game, but Brad Marchand has done it in a way that has made him successful both with and without the puck. On Thursday, Marchand tallied two assists in the Florida Panthers’ 6-3 win over the Washington Capitals reaching the 1,000-point milestone in his illustrious NHL career.
With under two minutes left in the game, Marchand tallied his ninth assist of the season on an empty-net goal by Eetu Luostarinen to reach the 1,000-point mark at home in front of friends and family.
“I hoped it would be tonight,” he said on the milestone helper. “It was nice to do it at home, too. It doesn’t matter how it gets done, it was just fun to be a part of it.”
Marchand, who was traded to the Panthers at the deadline last season, has made quite the impression on the team’s fanbase. So far this season, he has 11 goals and 20 points in 16 games played on a team that truly needs the leadership and offence with Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov sidelined.
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Overall, Marchand – who was the 71st overall pick in 2006 by the Boston Bruins – has recorded 435 goals and 1,000 points in 1,116 career regular season games. On top of that, he’s added 66 goals and 158 points in 180 career playoff games to go along with his two Stanley Cups.
Following the milestone night for Marchand, the 37-year-old exchanged jerseys with Capitals’ superstar Alexander Ovechkin as both players close in on the final years of their respective careers.
