When Brad Marchand got traded to the Florida Panthers, as the Boston Bruins would be going through a rebuild, it shocked many. But you know, sometimes a surprising trade can turn out to be one of the most successful moves in the NHL. Yeah, the Bruins really had a tough time during the regular season, finishing at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a record of 33-39-10. But with the Panthers bringing in Marchand, it definitely shifted his plans for the rest of the 2024-25 season.
The Panthers have really shown their grit on the way to the 2025 Eastern Conference Final, with smart strategies and some impressive performances along the way. In the first round, they went up against their Atlantic Division rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and came away with a solid 4-1 series win, thanks in part to Eetu Luostarinen’s impressive four-point game in that crucial match. The Panthers moved on to the second round, where they faced off against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a tough seven-game series. In the end, they came out on top with a strong 6-1 victory in Game 7.
In the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida is really showing their strength, leading the series 3-0. In Game 3, the Panthers really came alive, scoring five goals in the third period and clinching a 6-2 win. Now, they’re just one win away from making it to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in a row. So far, everything’s looking great for the Panthers. But you know, Brad Marchand really likes to keep things humble. It seems like this quality is really present in the Florida locker room.
Even their captain, Aleksander Barkov, mentioned it after a strong Game 3 win, saying, “Yeah, just one day at a time. Like right now, we just need to focus on recovery and getting as much rest as possible, and then tomorrow, next day, we will concentrate on the game. So that’s that’s about it. Like, we will live one day at a time.” And Marchand just backed up what his captain said.
He pointed out how disciplined the team has been during the playoffs, saying, “Yeah, you don’t think about that. We’re prepared to go 7 here, and I think the biggest thing for this group is we’re really good at just focusing on what we need to do and staying in the moment and not looking ahead. You can’t start looking ahead. I mean, it’s such a dangerous game to play. But what we’re really good at is just coming in and preparing the right way, and you have a lot of guys that have been through these moments before and kind of know how to deal with them. So you just rely on that and come in and try to do our job. It doesn’t mean that everything’s going to go our way, but you prepare to control the things that you can.”
Image via Facebook/CT Boston Bruins Fans
Marchand has played in several postseason games over his career. And he’s aware that the entire series could change direction if the Panthers slip up a bit here and there. Just like his captain, he’s not getting ahead of himself thinking about the Stanley Cup Final. Instead, he’s all about focusing on the next game in the Eastern Conference Final. And this isn’t the first time Marchand has shown that kind of humility.
Brad Marchand’s honest confession amid the Eastern Conference Final
“You never know how things are going to go. There’s so many things that you can’t control in playoffs that can dictate the outcome of a series, and we’ve been fortunate with some bounces and some calls and stuff like that that have helped us get to the point we’re at,” Brad Marchand said after a solid 6-2 victory in Game 3.
“But we haven’t achieved anything yet. You know, until you win everything, you accomplish nothing. So, you know, it’s day-to-day, and we just keep moving forward, trying to deal with the things that come at us.”
Absolutely, the Panthers are up 3-0 after this win, but you know, Marchand has been around the NHL long enough to witness some serious comebacks. He really doesn’t want to get too optimistic about the future and overlook anything that could change Florida’s success. His team hasn’t lifted that cup again yet, and until they do, Marchand knows that success is still out of reach.
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