Oilers vs. Panthers: Brad Marchand makes another memory with double OT winner for Florida in Game 2 of Stanley Cup final
Brad Marchand: Florida Panthers Stanley Cup finals hero.
Putting those words together would have sounded crazy until March when the lifelong Bruin allowed himself to be traded to one of Boston's biggest playoff and divisional rivals.
Now Marchand – the in-your-face player with an ability to score big goals — is a big reason the Panthers head home to Florida with a split in the first two games of the Stanley Cup final in Edmonton.
Marchand scored shorthanded on a breakaway in the third period and scored in the second overtime – also on a breakaway – as the Panthers, espousing a bend-but-don't-break brand of hockey, got back in the final with a 5-4 overtime win over the Oilers on Friday night.
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'These are the opportunities you dream of as a kid, and the moments you wish you could hold on to forever,' Marchand told Sportsnet. 'These are memories that you have the rest your life, not just for yourself, but for your family. We're all enjoying the journey right now.'
BRAD MARCHAND PLAYS HERO FOR THE CATS 🐀
The Panthers even the #StanleyCup Final on Marchand's Subway Canada OT winner 🚨 pic.twitter.com/V09QsQFb2N
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 7, 2025
Marchand is 37, 14 years removed from a Stanley Cup he won as a Bruin 2011. He has 10 goals in his career in Stanley Cup final series, the most among active players.
Right there with him is Edmonton's Corey Perry, 40, a Cup-winner in 2007. He has nine goals all-time in the Stanley Cup finals, including his goal in the last minute that forced overtime to give Edmonton a chance at taking a stranglehold on the series.
'They're a good team,' said Perry. 'They're going to push us to the max. We're going to push them to the max.'
Marchand has been buddy-buddy this spring with players he once went to war against. They love each other now.
'He's really skilled, hard on pucks, wants the puck,' said Florida's Matthew Tkachuk. 'His anticipation, just being in the right spots, his hockey sense, it's unbelievable. You saw it tonight. Two breakaway goals. He's sees the play and he's gone. I saw it a ton when he was in Boston. Way better seeing it now.
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'Unreal player. Unreal competitor. If you think about it, he's scored two of our biggest goals in the playoffs so far.'
Sam Bennett, Seth Jones, Dmitri Kulikov and also scored for Florida.
Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane also scored for Edmonton.
'It was exciting,' said Marchand. 'It's a very intense series. They compete extremely hard. They gave a good push. I love our resilience. We didn't get down. I really liked our game.'
History says
It's the 30th time a best-of-seven final has been tied at a game apiece. And the Panthers are 9-3 as visitors this post-season, a franchise record for road wins in one playoff year.
The Oilers, though, have history on their side. Even though the Panthers now have home-ice advantage, teams that open at home have won 20 of the 30 finals that started 1-1.
The first two games haven't disappointed in this Stanley Cup final rematch and fans can probably expect much of the same in Game 3 Monday in Florida.
'Every game is tight at this time of year,' said Draisaitl. 'Two really good teams. It's never going to be easy. Regroup and get ready for Game 3.'
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Bennett vs. Skinner
It was a first period for the ages, with something for everyone — from goals to fisticuffs to big hits and big plays. Bennett did what he does best: scoring while also getting under Skinner's skin. Bennett opened the scoring with his playoff-leading 13th goal, just 2:07 into the game.
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The Oilers, however, haven't been letting Florida hold a lead for long, with Kane and Bouchard scoring 1:40 apart to make it 2-1 Edmonton. Jones tied it, taking a pass Eetu Luostarinen while Edmonton's defensive zone play broke down.
The big moment of the period was still to come. Bennett fell into Skinner in the first game and got credit for a goal. But he didn't get away with it in Game 2 after brushing Mattias Ekholm and falling into the goalie, who seemed to be in pain with a twisted leg. Skinner would eventually get up, but not before Matthew Tkachuk and Trent Frederic got into it. Bennett got the extra two minutes, joined by Tkachuk in the box. Tkachuk patted Bennett on the shoulder, as if to say: good job falling on the goalie.
On the ensuing power play, Connor McDavid made them pay. He dipsied around Selke winner Aleksander Barkov, doodled past Aaron Ekblad and passed the puck past Anton Lundell to a waiting Draisaitl for a 3-2 Edmonton lead.
'Only one player in the world can make that play,' said Draisaitl.
'We've definitely developed a sense of understanding what the other one's thinking in any given moment. Leon and I have a great understanding of each other,' said McDavid. 'Sometimes all it takes is a look.'
Panthers pounce
Panthers coach Paul Maurice said he wasn't going to change his lineup, or ask players to do anything differently in Game 2, because he thought they played a decent Game 1 in defeat.
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'We do think there's a few things that we can do a little bit better,' he said before the game.
Nhl
Analysis
Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers: Everything you need to know about the Stanley Cup final
From Connor McDavid and Brad Marchand being X-factors all the way to the coaching matchup,
One of those things was forechecking. And they were much better in the second period, playing more of a Panthers style. They were rewarded with two goals and a 15-8 shots advantage. The Oilers had no answer for Florida's physicality as the Panthers won puck battle after puck battle. Finally, Kulikov scored from the point, off Bouchard and past Skinner to tie the game.
The referees were busy in the first period with 11 minor penalties called; less so in the second, with three. One was against Florida's Niko Mikkola, but even that didn't give the Oilers relief. Marchand managed a short-handed breakaway and gave Florida a 4-3 lead. It was Marchand's second career short-hander in a Cup final, exactly 14 years after the first against the Vancouver Canucks.
Cup notables
Before Marchand, defenceman Larry Robinson (Games 1 and 2 in 1989) was the only player 37 or older to score in each of the first two games of a Cup final.
Bennett's game-opening goal was his 12th on the road in these playoffs, an NHL record. His five-game road goal streak is a Panthers best, breaking his own mark.
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