The Florida Panthers are the defending back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. And they could not have pulled this feat off without a few bold moves. Perhaps no move was bolder than their trade for Brad Marchand last season with the Boston Bruins.
Marchand was injured at the time of the trade. But he was still one of the better trade candidates on the market. He was on an expiring contract and had a wealth of experience to offer a contending team. More than this, he could still produce at a high level.
He paid off Florida’s faith in spades. Marchand was a crucial part of Florida’s second Stanley Cup title this summer over the Edmonton Oilers. He made a late run for the Conn Smythe, in fact, but the playoff MVP went to teammate Sam Bennett.
This season, the future Hall of Famer is leading Florida through their injury issues. On Tuesday night, he takes his Panthers into TD Garden in Boston to face the Bruins for the first time as a visitor. There are certainly a lot of memories, but he took time to acknowledge the fans, as well.
“Hockey-wise. The city’s incredible — I’ve lived in a bunch of different areas around here and the city’s incredible. But the fans make it awesome. They’re just very unique. Some of the stories and things that I’ve seen fans do — a lot of them aren’t PG rated — in playoff runs and stuff like that, it’s so special and I think so unique to this area,” the Panthers star said, via NHL.com.
Emotions Beginning To Bubble For Brad Marchand

Jim Rogash/Getty ImagesBrad Marchand made three Stanley Cup Final appearances with the Boston Bruins, winning in 2011.
Marchand has said previously that he tried not to think about this game leading in. He wanted to focus on his current objectives and the Panthers. Especially with the likes of Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov out of the lineup.
However, as the future Hall of Famer said, there are a ton of memories here. He made three appearances in the Stanley Cup Final. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011. In many ways, he grew up as a player and person in this city. Now that the game is here, the emotions are surfacing, as well.
“It kind of hits you when you’re here a little bit more. I haven’t thought about it a ton up until this point. I think that’s probably why I don’t because then I’ll get emotional about it. But it’ll be hard not to. There are too many memories and I was here too long for it not to,” Marchand said, via NHL.com.
Bruins, Panthers Looking To Get Back On Track
This is going to be emotional for both teams. And that emotion is likely to surface once the puck drops. However, there is a game to be played. It’s a game both sides need to win, as well.
Both teams are entering this game on a four-game losing streak. Moreover, they began the season on a three-game winning streak. Boston lost Monday night to the Utah Mammoth, while the Panthers’ most recent loss came at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres.
These teams want to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026. Picking up early wins is vital toward any sort of push they need to make down the stretch. Avoiding an early season spiral is something each club will be looking to avoid on Tuesday night in Boston.
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