Getting better with age: Marchand scores twice in Florida Panthers' Game 5 win over Edmonton Oilers
At 37, Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand might not only be getting better with age in the 14 years since winning his first and only Stanley Cup title. Some might even suggest he's still got his looks, too, as Marchand joked on Saturday night.
"Man, that guy's good looking," Marchand said with a laugh when asked what the 23-year-old version of himself might have to say in reflecting back to winning the Cup in his second NHL season with the Boston Bruins in 2011.
Looks aside, what's definitely not changed is Marchand's scoring touch, which has placed him in elite company in Stanley Cup Final lore.
Florida Panthers' Brad Marchand (63) scores against Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard (30) during the first period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton, Alberta, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
JASON FRANSON / AP
The former Bruins captain, acquired by Florida at the NHL trade deadline in March, scored twice, including being credited with the winner, in a 5-2 victory over Edmonton to give the Panthers a 3-2 edge in their Cup final series. The series shifts to Florida on Tuesday night.
"Like I've said plenty of times, trying to enjoy the moment. It's a pretty special group to be a part of, and I'm having a lot of fun," said Marchand, who has scored 10 times this postseason, six in the final. "It's just how it plays out sometimes. Sometimes you get bounces. Sometimes you don't."
Lucky bounces had little to do with Marchand's goals on Saturday night, with both coming with him putting his head down, out-muscling defenders and driving to the net.
Marchand opened the scoring 9:12 in by pouncing on a loose puck off a center-ice faceoff, pushing past defender Mattias Ekholm and sneaking the puck through the legs of goalie Calvin Pickard.
Marchand then made it 3-0 some five minutes into the third period by driving up the left wing, jumping by Jake Walman, and backhanding a shot under Pickard for what stood as the decisive goal.
He became the 18th player — and oldest — to score six times in one final series, and first since Edmonton's Esa Tikkanen scored that many in 1988. And Marchand, who scored five times in Boston's 2011 Cup-winning final series over Vancouver, joined Mario Lemieux in becoming just the second player over the past 50 years to score five or more times in multiple Cup finals.
It also marked his 16th career playoff game-winning goal, moving Marchand into a tie for 10th on the NHL list with Jaromir Jagr and Patrick Marleau.
Florida Panthers' Anton Lundell (15) and Brad Marchand (63) celebrate after a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton, Alberta, Saturday, June 14, 2025. ( Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
JASON FRANSON / AP
"He's amazing. He's been a leader for us," goalie Sergei Bobrovsky said of Marchand. "He has been scoring big goals for us, and tonight he made a hell of an effort by himself."
Teammate Anton Lundell was in awe in helping set up Marchand's opening goal by winning the faceoff.
"That's just him. He just has that passion, which you saw today," Lundell said. "He decided he wanted to go there and be the difference maker, and he did that. Unbelievable player, and we're all pretty amazed by him."
The Panthers maintained their road dominance by improving to 10-3 away from Florida to match the 2019 St. Louis Blues' record for most road wins in one postseason. Sam Bennett scored his team-leading 15th goal — and 13th on the road — of the playoffs, while Bobrovsky made 19 saves as the Panthers essentially suffocated the high-scoring Oilers.
The win came two days after Florida blew a 3-0 lead in a 5-4 overtime loss in Game 4. And it puts the Panthers in position to join Tampa Bay (2020 and '21) as the only two teams to repeat as champions in the 2000s.
Marchand is making his fourth Cup final appearance after Boston lost to St. Louis in 2019 and Chicago in 2013.
"I'm not there yet," he said, when asked of the prospect of winning a second title. "It's about process. That's all we're going to worry about, process, structure. So we'll look at a few things and get prepared."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
38 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Connor McDavid is producing in the Stanley Cup Final, but is it enough for the Oilers?
It took until 13 minutes left in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final for Connor McDavid to score his first goal of the series, and it was after he and the Edmonton Oilers fell behind 3-0 to the Florida Panthers, on the way to losing and getting pushed to the brink. Before that, he led all scorers with six assists, and only teammate Leon Draisaitl has more points than McDavid's seven. Of course, the best hockey player in the world is in the spotlight no matter what he does, and he hasn't been able to break out and put the Oilers on his back thanks in large part to Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers keying in on him defensively and slowing him down at all costs. Coach Kris Knoblauch thinks it has been a bit of an unfortunate final for McDavid given the amount of scoring chances that just haven't gone in. 'I think Connor's been one of our best players every single night, and that's what we expect,' Knoblauch said Sunday. 'I've got no issues with his game. Obviously, our team relies heavily on him and Leon and how they're playing, but I think that it's tight checking for everyone and it's not going to be a midseason game against a non-playoff team when sometimes he's had 10 or 12 scoring chances. Those numbers are obviously reduced playing against a good team like Florida.' The Panthers have defended McDavid and Draisaitl 'reasonably well,' according to coach Paul Maurice, who acknowledged two of the NHL's most talented forwards are bound to get their opportunities. Barkov's line, with Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart, has been tasked with playing against McDavid, perhaps to the detriment of offense. That's the job, so Reinhart was noticeably upset to give up that late goal Saturday night. 'I'm upset every time they get a goal,' Reinhart told reporters in Edmonton. 'It's a team effort defending guys like that. We've known all series the challenge is there for us. No one really cares in our locker room who's producing each night. It's just a matter that someone is at the right times. And that's what we've had.' McDavid led all scorers through three rounds playing with Zach Hyman on his right wing. Hyman's right wrist was dislocated with ligaments torn on a hit late in the Western Conference final, and left winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was bothered by an undisclosed injury during a stretch against Florida. Loading up by putting McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice together — the so-called 'nuclear option' — has not been used as often because Hyman isn't around. 'With the absence of Zach Hyman, it makes it more difficult putting those two together because of the depth of our lineup,' Knoblauch said. 'With what we have right now, to run those two together for long periods of time makes it more difficult for our depth on our team.' That puts even more pressure on McDavid in Game 6 on Tuesday night to keep the series going, as the Panthers again focus on preventing him from doing anything of the sort. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Fox Sports
40 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Connor McDavid is producing in the Stanley Cup Final, but is it enough for the Oilers?
Associated Press It took until 13 minutes left in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final for Connor McDavid to score his first goal of the series, and it was after he and the Edmonton Oilers fell behind 3-0 to the Florida Panthers, on the way to losing and getting pushed to the brink. Before that, he led all scorers with six assists, and only teammate Leon Draisaitl has more points than McDavid's seven. Of course, the best hockey player in the world is in the spotlight no matter what he does, and he hasn't been able to break out and put the Oilers on his back thanks in large part to Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers keying in on him defensively and slowing him down at all costs. Coach Kris Knoblauch thinks it has been a bit of an unfortunate final for McDavid given the amount of scoring chances that just haven't gone in. 'I think Connor's been one of our best players every single night, and that's what we expect,' Knoblauch said Sunday. 'I've got no issues with his game. Obviously, our team relies heavily on him and Leon and how they're playing, but I think that it's tight checking for everyone and it's not going to be a midseason game against a non-playoff team when sometimes he's had 10 or 12 scoring chances. Those numbers are obviously reduced playing against a good team like Florida.' The Panthers have defended McDavid and Draisaitl 'reasonably well," according to coach Paul Maurice, who acknowledged two of the NHL's most talented forwards are bound to get their opportunities. Barkov's line, with Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart, has been tasked with playing against McDavid, perhaps to the detriment of offense. That's the job, so Reinhart was noticeably upset to give up that late goal Saturday night. "I'm upset every time they get a goal," Reinhart told reporters in Edmonton. "It's a team effort defending guys like that. We've known all series the challenge is there for us. No one really cares in our locker room who's producing each night. It's just a matter that someone is at the right times. And that's what we've had.' McDavid led all scorers through three rounds playing with Zach Hyman on his right wing. Hyman's right wrist was dislocated with ligaments torn on a hit late in the Western Conference final, and left winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was bothered by an undisclosed injury during a stretch against Florida. Loading up by putting McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice together — the so-called 'nuclear option' — has not been used as often because Hyman isn't around. 'With the absence of Zach Hyman, it makes it more difficult putting those two together because of the depth of our lineup,' Knoblauch said. 'With what we have right now, to run those two together for long periods of time makes it more difficult for our depth on our team.' That puts even more pressure on McDavid in Game 6 on Tuesday night to keep the series going, as the Panthers again focus on preventing him from doing anything of the sort. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and recommended
Associated Press
40 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Connor McDavid is producing in the Stanley Cup Final, but is it enough for the Oilers?
It took until 13 minutes left in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final for Connor McDavid to score his first goal of the series, and it was after he and the Edmonton Oilers fell behind 3-0 to the Florida Panthers, on the way to losing and getting pushed to the brink. Before that, he led all scorers with six assists, and only teammate Leon Draisaitl has more points than McDavid's seven. Of course, the best hockey player in the world is in the spotlight no matter what he does, and he hasn't been able to break out and put the Oilers on his back thanks in large part to Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers keying in on him defensively and slowing him down at all costs. Coach Kris Knoblauch thinks it has been a bit of an unfortunate final for McDavid given the amount of scoring chances that just haven't gone in. 'I think Connor's been one of our best players every single night, and that's what we expect,' Knoblauch said Sunday. 'I've got no issues with his game. Obviously, our team relies heavily on him and Leon and how they're playing, but I think that it's tight checking for everyone and it's not going to be a midseason game against a non-playoff team when sometimes he's had 10 or 12 scoring chances. Those numbers are obviously reduced playing against a good team like Florida.' The Panthers have defended McDavid and Draisaitl 'reasonably well,' according to coach Paul Maurice, who acknowledged two of the NHL's most talented forwards are bound to get their opportunities. Barkov's line, with Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart, has been tasked with playing against McDavid, perhaps to the detriment of offense. That's the job, so Reinhart was noticeably upset to give up that late goal Saturday night. 'I'm upset every time they get a goal,' Reinhart told reporters in Edmonton. 'It's a team effort defending guys like that. We've known all series the challenge is there for us. No one really cares in our locker room who's producing each night. It's just a matter that someone is at the right times. And that's what we've had.' McDavid led all scorers through three rounds playing with Zach Hyman on his right wing. Hyman's right wrist was dislocated with ligaments torn on a hit late in the Western Conference final, and left winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was bothered by an undisclosed injury during a stretch against Florida. Loading up by putting McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice together — the so-called 'nuclear option' — has not been used as often because Hyman isn't around. 'With the absence of Zach Hyman, it makes it more difficult putting those two together because of the depth of our lineup,' Knoblauch said. 'With what we have right now, to run those two together for long periods of time makes it more difficult for our depth on our team.' That puts even more pressure on McDavid in Game 6 on Tuesday night to keep the series going, as the Panthers again focus on preventing him from doing anything of the sort. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
