Canadian legend Don Cherry gets 100% honest about Panthers defeating Oilers to win second Stanley Cup

Hockey legend Don Cherry shared his thoughts on the Florida Panthers defeating the Edmonton Oilers to win their second Stanley Cup title.

The Panthers beat the Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 of the Cup Final to secure their back-to-back championship. With this victory, the Panthers became only the third team in NHL history to achieve this feat in the salary cap era, following the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning.

On his recent Grapevine podcast, Cherry stated that the Panthers were the better team, but he was reluctant to bet against Edmonton.

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"Well, they were a better team. They were a better team, but there’s no way I was going to go against Edmonton," Cherry said.

As a Canadian, Don Cherry predicted the Edmonton Oilers would win the Stanley Cup this year, but he anticipated a challenging series. Despite his prediction, the Florida Panthers prevailed for the second consecutive year, defeating the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final.

Don Cherry opines that Brad Marchand should've won the playoff MVP over Sam Bennett

Don Cherry shared his opinion on the Conn Smythe Trophy winner for the most valuable player in the NHL playoffs. Sam Bennett received the award after scoring 15 goals in 23 postseason games.

However, Cherry believed Brad Marchand deserved the MVP award, stating that Marchand performed exceptionally well and should have been chosen, though he acknowledged Bennett’s contribution.

"I thought Marchand was pretty good. Sure, give it to both of them. Marchand should have won." he said.

Brad Marchand was acquired by the Florida Panthers in a surprising trade from the Boston Bruins at this year’s trade deadline. Marchand scored three game-winners, including twice in overtime, and posted the second-highest plus-minus rating on the team at +17. He recorded 20 points, with 10 goals and 10 assists, in 23 games.