Paul Maurice, Florida Panthers Playoffs: Talks Bennett/Stolarz, Game 2 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Paul Maurice, Florida Panthers Playoffs: Talks Bennett/Stolarz, Game 2 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Well, there’ be a list of things, but at the end of the day, you have a a style of play and an identity, and uh we didn’t give ourselves much of a chance to get to that early in the game, and they get a little better as the game went on. Uh but the score changes the way both teams play it sometimes. Both teams risk profile changes. Um so, you you don’t want to put too much into a third period when you’re chasing the game by three. Paul, you guys getting Aaron back again tomorrow. Just what do you hope he brings in to around the blue line? Well, his last game, I mean, I think that game, his game that he played for us, uh, game four was possibly the best game I’ve seen him play for us. He just closing gaps, but up the ice and rush, and he puts our the rest of our decor into a different structure of matches and things like that. So, he’s been really good for us. We’ve missed him for quite a while. So just a little bit of structure to our team. Paul with the developments of what happened last night during the game. Um do you anticipate that the Maple Leafs will kind of try to use that as motivation if they you know if they lose? So we’re not talking about the win. where I’m talking about Anthony Solars and and Okay, hit me with the question again one more time. Do you think that that him being injured may be that may be used as a weapon for motivation or not a weapon but yeah I didn’t think they appeared under motivated in the game but we didn’t say how motivated we want to go here tonight do we think that both teams will be equally motivated Paul what uh have you learned in your time about Sam Bennett and what makes makes him so effective in the playoffs? Well, he’s effective all year long. An awful lot of speed in the middle of the ice. Um, and and that’s really the the connection between him and Matthew Kachchuck is that he brings that speed. Matthew has the hands to find him into holes. So, um, that that duo really is is where certainly Matthew was productive in his time in Calgary, but in terms of being able to kind of give our team different looks, you’ve got the Barkoff look and then Lundelle’s coming into his own. So, we’ve got three different lines that play a different uh style of game based on really speed more than anything else. with Bennett. Um, he talks about playing on the edge without crossing the line and what does that line look like to you for him? You know, he’s playing on the edge. Yeah. He plays hard. Like there was a hit two and a half years ago that you guys have shown 4,000 times. There was a parking ticket seven years ago that I think actually made the video. Like he’s got the puck. He’s on a power play. Goes to the net, but not even not through the He’s got the puck. He’s going to the net. I I understand. Like, call the fire department. Put your hair out. Let’s move on. Please. Like the edge. The place already has the puck. A lot. If he doesn’t have the puck, we’ve got a system says you got to hit the guy with the puck. There’s your line. Now, I knew you weren’t letting this goal, right? There’s been as long as you’ve been around and I’ve been around the players on teams that you love them when you’re when they’re yours and you hate them when they’re not. Be it Dale Hunter or whoever it was over the years. Where does Sam fit in in that group? I don’t I don’t think even close. Like we’re we’re six games into the playoffs and he and he took a puck outside the crease and and now he’s a villain. But I I expected that when I got up this morning. It just still surprises me, fellas. Like I I mean, there were far more egregious collisions in that game last night, but we won’t be talking about those, I would imagine, today. Surprising. No, it doesn’t. I’m actually And I’m not actually not upset about it. I’m really not. I know. You know what you’re getting this morning. I know where this is going. Honest to God, I I mean, I’ve seen every hit that Sam Bennett’s thrown since he was 12 years old on TV this morning. Like, I get it. Go ahead. Run with it. We’re good. going to drop. Last question. Speaking just more generally, you’ve said like, are these discussions good? Hold on. Are we still talking about Sam? Well, sort of specifically, but generally, Sam, are these sorts of discussions, not saying this specific one, are they good for hockey? Like, is it a fun thing to talk about to get people interested in? None of the things that we are going to discuss here today, this group is good for hockey that it just hasn’t reached a high enough level. And most of my answers haven’t been great for you. What was great for hockey was Colorado, Dallas, and Winnipeg, St. Louis. That was great. We didn’t play very well today, so I’m not in a great mood about that. I mean, my job didn’t get done last night, so that’s important. Most of this for me is tempered by the fact that like Sto’s one of our guys like we love that guy. So, if I had thought that Sam had crossed a line or an edge, um, was probably more careful with my words a little bit. I just I just didn’t think it happened. But I was pretty sure it was going to be like this this morning.

Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice speaks to the media on his team’s off day in Toronto before Game 2 of their second-round playoff series on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.

The Panthers lost 5-4 to the Maple Leafs in Game 1; Anthony Stolarz left the game with a suspected concussion not long after getting hit by Sam Bennett in the second period.

Bennett did not face any supplemental discipline from the NHL and will play in Game 2.

The Leafs hold a 1-0 series lead with Game 2 in Toronto on Wednesday at 7 (ESPN).

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Monday, the Leafs led 2-0, 3-1, and 4-1 before the Panthers mounted a comeback in the third on goals from Eetu Luostarinen, Uvis Balinskis, and Sam Bennett. Seth Jones scored to make it 2-1 in the first.

Former Florida goalie Anthony Stolarz was knocked out of the game with an apparent concussion not long after colliding with Bennett in the crease. Stolarz had previous had his mask knocked off by a Sam Reinhart slapshot.

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Video Courtesy Florida Panthers / Panthers Vision