Will Boston Bet on Marchand to Win Cup?

Brad Marchand was eating honey, not a DQ Blizzard, between periods.

With the viral moment cleared up, the Florida Panthers swallowed whole the Carolina Hurricanes, who have become the annual reminder of the Peter Principle, in which they rise to the level of their incompetence only to be rudely squashed by the Eastern Conference Final.

NHL betting experts had little doubt about Florida prevailing in the ECF, but will that same money follow Florida to the Stanley Cup Final? Of course, some of the money won through the process might find its way to results and player props in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final.

Or Game 6?

Just that scenario played out again as Marchand snapped the first empty-netter Wednesday night to clinch the ECF and send Florida to its third straight Stanley Cup Final.

So, will Boston bet on their division rival now featuring the long-time Boston Bruins captain to win the Cup, or will local fans root for Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers to finally break McDavid’s career drought?

Marchand, 37, spent 16 seasons with the Bruins after being the club’s third-round selection in 2006. Marchand spent the last couple of seasons as the captain, following the 2023 retirement of Patrice Bergeron.

Marchand does have one Stanley Cup ring in the safe, winning with the Bruins in 2011. They were one game short against the St. Louis Blues in 2019.

The NHL has not yet announced the Stanley Cup Final schedule, though perhaps some haste will be in order this season so that the final game of the SCF does not so closely impede the NHL Draft, pushing back trades, transactions, coaching hires, and decisions on restricted free agents which are due 48 hours after the winning team skates off the ice, Cup hoisted above their heads.

Marchand played exactly 1100 games with the Bruins, scoring 424 goals and registering 980 points. Marchand was injured at the time of the trade to Florida, minutes before the March 7 deadline. He made his Florida debut on March 28.

Overall, Marchand played 10 regular-season games down south, scoring two goals and registering two assists.

In the playoffs, Marchand has been his pesky, clutch self. As Florida claimed their third-straight Prince of Wales Trophy, Marchand notched 14 points, including 10 goals, in the 17 games it has taken Florida to cut through the rest of the East.

Currently, Florida has vaulted to favorite status on FanDuel, going off at -120, while Edmonton is at +1115. McDavid is the heavy favorite for the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP. He also won the trophy last year in a losing effort.

Which was silly, but we digress.

Marchand is +8000 to win the Conn Smythe, though he would happily forgo that trophy for the bigger silver one, and maybe some honey, too.