EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Brad Marchand and Corey Perry are by far the oldest players in the Stanley Cup Final. Marchand just turned 37 last month, and Perry is 40.
Naturally, they combined for a third of the goals in Game 2 on Friday night, showing this is indeed a Cup final for old men, not for the earth but certainly in hockey. Marchand scored his second of the game to win it in double overtime for the Florida Panthers after Perry got the latest tying goal in the history of the final in the waning moments of regulation to give the Edmonton Oilers hope.
“You saying he’s old, or what?” teammate Seth Jones said of Marchand. “I’m going to tell him you said that. He’s a dog. He’s a gamer. He’s a competitor. He brings so much energy to our team on and off the ice.”
Where does that energy come from to play 22 important minutes? Anton Lundell hopes it comes from him and fellow linemate Eetu Luostarinen, the pups keeping an older dog like Marchand feeling young.
“He likes to spend time and be around us,” said Lundell, who set up each of Marchand’s breakaway goals. “He’s in great shape, and it seems like nothing is stopping him.”
Marchand is not slowing down in his 16th NHL season and 13th playoff run, the first away from the Boston Bruins. He is in the final for a fourth time, this one 14 years removed from his first when he and Boston also faced a Canadian team, the Vancouver Canucks, and won the Cup to keep the country’s title drought going.
His two-goal game came on the anniversary of scoring short-handed on Roberto Luongo in the 2011 final. Luongo now works for the Panthers in their front office and posted on social media after the game, “Favorite player of all time.”
“Lu is awesome,” said Marchand, whose 10 goals in the final are the most among active players, one more than Perry. “Happy to be on his team.”
Perry even longer ago helped beat a Canadian team in the final when he and Anaheim defeated Ottawa in 2007. He’s playing for the Cup for a sixth time in his career and for the fourth time over the past five years and is still producing at important moments.
Source: Ap News
