Brad Marchand gets a taste of how Panthers managed to crush his former team Bruins in consecutive playoff series 

Brad Marchand now understands what it feels like to be on the Florida Panthers’ side. On Wednesday, the Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-3 in Game 5. With that win, Florida moved to the second round and eliminated Tampa for the second straight year.

Marchand, who joined Florida near the trade deadline from the Boston Bruins, saw how hard this team works from inside the locker room. The Panthers defeated the Bruins 4-2 in the second round of the playoffs last season, before defeating the Edmonton Oilers to win their first Stanley Cup. Even in the 2022-23 NHL season, they defeated the Bruins 4-3 in the first round.

Brad Marchand was part of the Bruins' lineup in both those seasons and in one of those as a captain. So, it was extremely frustrating for him, but now he saw the reason why the Panthers were able to pull it off.

Speaking to reporters postgame, Marchand said the team is extremely hardworking and that he appreciates it more now.

"Yeah, it's fun," Marchand said about winning with the Panthers. "This team is an extremely hardworking team, and I appreciate it more after being in the room and seeing the work that goes into it.

"Obviously when you play against it, it's not fun and it's frustrating at times. They come in waves and they just continue to come at you.

"Now being here and understanding the way that we practice every day and what's being pushed and the detail and structure that guys have every day, I have a lot more respect for it and understand why they do it the way they talk about it in the room and how we play. It's very easy to buy into and it's a lot of fun to be part of," he added.

(from 2:47 mark onwards)

This season, the Bruins have not made it to the playoffs, as they were the last-placed team in the East.

Brad Marchand's role in Panthers' first-round win

Brad Marchand had two important assists in the Panthers’ 6-3 win over the Lightning in Game 5. He helped set up Anton Lundell’s goal in the first period and later passed to Eetu Luostarinen for a third-period goal. He played a big role for the Panthers with four points and a plus-minus rating of five.

Brad Marchand’s smart passes gave Florida a strong offensive push. Now, he will look to help the Panthers in the second round when they face either the Toronto Maple Leafs or Ottawa Senators.