The Florida Panthers are the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. They secured the Cup again last season, thanks in large part to a mid-season trade with the Boston Bruins for Brad Marchand.

Marchand spent the first 15-plus years of his professional career in Boston, where he built a near-legendary reputation for his grit, toughness, and playmaking abilities. On Tuesday night, he will make his first trip back to Boston as a member of the road team.

“The fans won’t be able to cheer because I know they don’t like the Panthers,” Marchand said Monday. “But maybe they’ll like me enough to give me a lil’ yay.”

From the 2009-2010 season, Marchand has amassed 422 goals and 554 assists, totaling 976 points. These numbers rank him fourth, sixth, and fifth respectively in team history. However, Boston fans will likely maintain their distaste for the Panthers. After all, it was only a couple of seasons ago that the Bruins posted the greatest record in NHL regular-season history, only to be upset by Florida in the first round of the playoffs.

The Panthers will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak. They started the season 3-0 but have since dropped games to the Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, and Buffalo Sabres. All four losses came by multiple goals, with the Panthers being outscored 15-4.

Meanwhile, the Bruins find themselves in a similar situation. Despite winning their first three games, they have also lost four straight since. That said, the Bruins were not expected to compete at a high level this season, unlike the Panthers, who are expected to contend.

Marchand is off to another solid start himself. Over the first week-plus of the season, he has recorded three goals, three assists, and eight penalty minutes. At 37 years old, it does not appear the future Hall of Famer is slowing down anytime soon.
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