Yet another standout moment from Game 3 and the Florida Panthers just took it away from the Toronto Maple Leafs—5-4 defeat that once shone brightly over the scorecard for the Leafs in Game 1 of the NHL playoff series. But this time, the buzz wasn’t only about the win or scores but rather about how the ex-Boston Bruins’ captain dominated the ice wearing the red and blue proudly. “It obviously felt good for the group. We had a good game —a better second half of the game because we didn’t start the way we would have liked,” Brad Marchand quoted after scoring the OT goal that stole the spotlight for the young star. But the twist is, this time Marchand is skating to secure a win only, perhaps trying to chase a legacy!

While his presence and prowess added an extra layer of intensity to an already thrilling game, it also created a concern over one thing—is Marchand going to surpass Alex Ovechkin in terms of playoff points? Well, B/R Open Ice just dropped the bombshell on X while posting a thread that shows two stars with their current standings in the NHL. “After his overtime goal last night, Brad Marchand and Alex Ovechkin have the exact same number of playoff points 🤯,” the post read. Because both Marchand and Ovechkin stand at 146 points currently.

Despite Ovechkin achieving the milestone in fewer games than Marchand—158 vs. 165—Marchand has scored, let’s say that the Panthers’ forward is quietly but steadily etching his name alongside the league’s great ones. And it can very well be seen in his recent performance, where Marchand marked his first overtime goal while playing for the Panthers, scoring at 15:27 before firing a wrist shot that deflected off defenseman Morgan Rielly and past the goalie! “We battled back from a couple two-goal deficits and we just competed the way we know we can,” Marchand further stated.

Whereas Ovechkin, on the other end, is the first one in NHL history to break Wayne Gretzky’s 895 NHL record in regular season goals. However, breaking big records and also leading the Washington Capitals, Ovechkin now stands at 146 points while competing in Round 2 of the playoff series. And now with another great player coming to chase his way, it looks like a big thing. In fact, it is a big thing. So the question that concerns the NHL fans and analysts now is about Marchand chasing the great one’s legacy, who seems to have been the talk of the league in the past few months.

It’s Brad Marchand vs. Alex Ovechkin now!

To say that it’s going to be another source of entertainment now. While the Panthers make their way to compete against the Maple Leafs and the Capitals do the same with the Colorado Avalanche, this time, it could be the scores of the respective teams along with the two stars racing fast to increase their personal scorecards. Sounds interesting, right? Well, here’s the breakdown.

While Ovechkin, known for his power and precision, achieved his playoff points in just 158 games after scoring 72 goals and 74 assists. And that comes with a significant chunk from the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup-winning run, where the great one’s career was at his absolute peak. Because the thing with Ovi is different—“It doesn’t matter where I play. If coach says I must play goalie, I will play goalie,” Ovechkin said, and that’s the spirit one needs to be in the position he is today!

However, when it comes to the Bruins’ ex-captain, yesterday’s OT goal just marked his dominance while reaching the same points. Although he played more games in comparison to Ovechkin, that doesn’t prove his pace to be slower than the Capitals’ star. After all, built on consistency and clutch performances, Marchand’s 146 points come from a mix of goals and assists, shaped by years of his leadership with the Bruins. Out of which a total of 12 goals and 33 playoff points come alone from the 31 games against the Maple Leafs.

Now, with his combined Florida’s deep playoff push and Ovechkin on the other side leading the Capitals, what enthralls the community now is regarding the one that moves ahead of this strong position. And for Brad Marchand? It is indeed going to be scoring for the Panthers, meanwhile surpassing Ovechkin in this season.