Paul Maurice, Florida Panthers Fly Home from Toronto Down 0-2 to the Maple Leafs

Paul Maurice, Florida Panthers Fly Home from Toronto Down 0-2 to the Maple Leafs

Cole, we’ve been a good home team this year for sure. Um, and you get the positive feedback of good things that you do. And we got a twoon-one with Matthew early in that game and he almost finds a hole. So, you get a completely different review. You start feeling better about yourself, better about your game just on that. So, it’ll be good to get home. Paul, when you uh reviewed the footage from last night, is there anything that you see uh that your team’s doing in the neutral zone that’s allowing Toronto so much ability to come with speed that is atypical for you guys? Yeah, it’s not certain in the neutral zone. It starts from the far end. We put pucks to the net that uh we couldn’t get a a handle on it. They got a fast team, a quick team, but it’s it’s not off transition from the neutral zone. off offensive zone to to the other end, which is consistent with the way they play and the way they’ve generated offense in their last series and in this one. Paul, you guys are obviously experienced. You’ve been through a lot over the last few years. Is there anything that needs to be said to the team at this point with the series being where it is right now? Well, if there was, you would have said it two games ago, right? So, we’re not holding back any gems. Uh, and that’s probably the most important thing that you realize. It’s not a We’ve went on the road and lost two one goal games. Our game’s not perfect. Neither is theirs. So, you’re looking for an adjustment to foundation more than an adjustment to something unusual. Obviously, a lot of block shots for Toronto last night. A lot of bodies in front of the net. Samvich talked about that post game. What’s the key moving forward? Maybe getting around that blockade and getting shots through. Well, a little bit of composure and patience with the puck. I think we’ve we’ve forced some pucks to the net that we didn’t necessarily need to uh when we had full possession though. So, a little bit of that and then it’s foot speed coming out of the holes. And I actually thought we were much better at that in game two than game one. Um we we in the first half of game one, we didn’t have a whole lot going. Um but we did from the start last night. We only knew the third line was going to be impactful and good heading these playoffs, but it’s been statistically the best line, racking up a ton of points. Just what is making them excel kind of above and beyond maybe what we even expected? Uh they don’t get too far away from each other. They’re really close support most of the night. So whether it’s on a breakout or a counter. Um and then and then they’ve got some hands. I mean Brad’s got a highly unusual set of hands. Really gifted, skilled player to make some of those small area inside plays and they’re they’re there for each other. Um and they’ve at that point then gotten to be quite they’re quicker with the puck. How do you assess Aaron Eblad’s game last night? What did he bring to you? Yeah, I liked his game last night. I thought he was really good, especially on the penalty kill early. That was that’s 6 minutes off the start that the game could have got away from you.

Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice speaks to the media before his team flies home to Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

The Panthers lost Game 2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on Wednesday and trail 0-2 in the best-of-7 series.

Florida has never won a series down 0-2 and have not been in this position since the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.

Game 3 is in Sunrise on Friday at 7 p.m. (TNT)

How Brad Marchand Joined the Florida Panthers: https://floridahockeynow.com/brad-marchand-joins-florida-panthers-how-it-happened-nhl-trade-bruins/

2024 Stanley Cup Champions Honored at the White House: https://floridahockeynow.com/stanley-cup-champion-florida-panthers-honored-at-white-house/

Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning Bringing Hockey Outdoors – In Florida: https://floridahockeynow.com/nhl-outdoor-hockey-miami-tampa-florida-panthers-lightning/

The Florida Panthers Get Their Rings. They’re Spectacular: https://floridahockeynow.com/florida-panthers-get-stanley-cup-championship-rings-theyre-spectacular/

The Florida Panthers Are Stanley Cup Champions: https://floridahockeynow.com/can-you-believe-it-florida-panthers-are-stanley-cup-champs/

Wednesday, Sasha Barkov gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead midway through the first. Florida led 2-1 early in the second after Brad Marchand tied it.

Anton Lundell made it a 3-3 game in the third — only Mitch Marner scored 17 seconds later for the 4-3 lead and the final score. Sergei Bobrovsky made 16 saves in the loss.

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Video Courtesy Florida Panthers / Panthers Vision