Panthers Or Oilers: Who Do Bruins Fans Want To Win Stanley Cup?

The Stanley Cup Final begins Wednesday night between the Panthers and Oilers in Edmonton, but there’s no shortage of Bruins connections.

The B’s, having missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade, are presumably closing in on a new coach. They’re also preparing for the NHL draft at the end of the month, where they hold the No. 7 pick. Free agency, shortly thereafter, is a chance to rebuild the roster on the fly.

The goal, of course, is to get back to where the Panthers and Oilers are for a second straight season. Florida will try to win a second straight Cup (with a little less stress, they likely hope), while Connor McDavid will try to solidify himself as an all-time great with his first Cup.

Brad Marchand is already an all-time great in Boston, where he won the Cup in 2011 before building a legendary career with the Black and Gold. Now, he’s trying to capture his second title with the Panthers after a midseason trade to Florida.

He’s not alone down there, either, with former Bruins forwards A.J. Greer and Tomas Nosek on the Panthers. Not to mention, beloved Bruins wingers Shawn Thornton and Gregory Campbell now call Sunrise home where they’re part of the Florida front office.

While those local ties might be enough for B’s fans to set aside recent bad blood and root for the Panthers, it’s easy to see why they might be a little hesitant to do so.

Take away the early 1990s, and the Oilers don’t have much of a history with the Bruins at all. They, too, have a Boston connection; Trent Frederic was also moved at the deadline, and he calls Edmonton home as well as Max Jones. On top of that, McDavid’s superstardom might be enough to convince B’s fans to root for the Oilers.

Can Bruins fans do what Marchand did and let bygones be bygones with the likes of Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk in search of that elusive second Stanley Cup? Or is the idea of Florida knocking on the door of dynasty status too much to stomach, especially with the chance to see an all-time great break through and get his name on the Cup?

Who are you rooting for in the Stanley Cup Final, Burins fans? Sound off in the comments below.