The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. With this, former Boston Bruins star Brad Marchand is a Stanley Cup champion again.
It took Marchand 14 years to lift the Stanley Cup again, and it, unfortunately, was not with him still being a Bruin. While speaking to Emily Kaplan following the game, Marchand revealed the biggest difference between his Stanley Cup wins with the Bruins and Panthers.
"I definitely appreciate it way more," Marchand said. "I mean, when you win in your first year, you don't understand how difficult it is, and the trials and tribulations you have to go through, and I embrace every second of this. It's been incredible."
Marchand undoubtedly went through some serious heartbreak with the Bruins before finally winning the Stanley Cup again with the Panthers. He was on the Bruins for both of their Stanley Cup Final losses in 2013 and 2019. He was also on the Bruins' 65-win team that choked away a 3-1 series lead to the Panthers in the first round back in 2023. Thus, it was a long road to his second Stanley Cup championship, so it makes sense that he was far more appreciative this time around than he was in 2011.
Marchand, of course, was a rookie during the Bruins' 2011 Stanley Cup championship run and played a significant role in the Original Six club winning. In 25 playoff games in 2011, the 2006 third-round pick recorded 11 goals, 19 points, and a plus-12 rating. This included scoring two goals and recording an assist in the Bruins' Game 7 win over the Vancouver Canucks to win the Stanley Cup.
During this run with the Panthers, Marchand proved that he is still a star. In 23 games, he recorded 10 goals, 20 points, and a plus-17 rating. He also had six goals in six Stanley Cup Final games against the Oilers.
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