Panthers' Brad Marchand Joins Elite Company in Stanley Cup Final

To be able to associate himself with an NHL legend like Mario Lemieux has just been the icing on the cake for what will put him in serious consideration for winning this year's Conn Smythe, even if the Panthers somehow squander their Cup chances. That's how dominant Marchand has been, and his first goal was a reminder of that. 

For a player his age to generate that kind of speed off a faceoff in the neutral zone and to create enough separation not to allow Edmonton Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm to contest his shot that was rifled over the left shoulder of Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard goes to show that whatever team signs him on July 1 is getting a player with lots of gas left in the tank. 

Then, to top it all off, Marchand absolutely walks Oilers defenceman Jake Walman, who is eight years younger, who looked like a pylon on this play.

It was a goal that showcased Marchand's soft hands and strong stick, two things that have made him one of the best players in the world for over a decade now.

His second goal marked back-to-back two-goal and game-winning goal performances in Edmonton.

Nothing New

The last time that Marchand scored five goals in a Cup Final was against the Vancouver Canucks in the 2010-11 post-season. Oh, and it was his first full season in the league, so this playoff thing isn't new for him. 

Marchand's 11 playoff goals were good for second on the team to only David Krejčí and is still to this day tied for the sixth most goals among rookies in the playoffs, according to NHL.com. 

When you compare Marchand's incredible playoff performance back in 2011 to this year, there are two glaring differences. One being that he mostly played on a Bruins line with Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi, who's a Hall of Famer, per Moneypuck.com, to now playing with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen. 

Which leads to the other point being that he's been equally as dominant despite aging by 14 years with less skilled linemates.

Marchand's metronomic, methodical, and masterful approach has willed a team with a three-time Selke Trophy winner, a 50-goal scorer, and a two-time Vezina Trophy winner to their third consecutive Cup Final, and all it cost the Panthers was a second-round pick. Talk about a robbery.