Paul Maurice, Panthers Pregame: Florida Back on the Road vs. Nashville Predators

Paul Maurice, Panthers Pregame: Florida Back on the Road vs. Nashville Predators

September and they’re they’re going to win the World Series. So, that’s pretty cool. Like, it was a big deal. Yeah. Well, coach, as your team looks to get back on track here today against Nashville, what’s one area that you want this group to improve upon? Well, there was a whole bunch of that game against Edmonton. I liked um I didn’t think that I thought we were able to generate some offense without opening our game up too much. I mean, we gave up a little bit because we were down by three, but I the fight was there and the compete was there. I think Nashville has played better than their record. I thought they played a heck of a game against Colorado and rightfully should have won that game. Um, so we’re going to get that here now. I think we had about a three-game boost when we came back from Europe last year. The team bonding, it was really good. We played really well. We kind of ran out of gas two weeks later, but I think when they first come back, they’re still on a bit of a high from the trip. They played really well last game, so we’ll expect their best. All the dads are in attendance for this one. How does something like that energize the group? It’s just so much fun to watch. Just for me, I got boys and uh I don’t I don’t know what age it happens at, but at some point you watch the the boys are shephering their dads around. No, Dad, you got to get on this bus. know dad you got but what an incredible thing right we become I don’t know not jaded but you forget sometimes how unique this lifestyle is and this life is all those guys got regular jobs back home so this is a big deal for them to come and see a day or two in the life of a national hockey leager but it’s also their boy right so lots of pride lots of smiles it’s fun to watch uh Eron leads a team in block shots this year what have you liked about this game defense I just all of it, you know, when you look at at what he was willing to sacrifice, we needed a pair of defenseman that could play against the other teams best and and points couldn’t be the driver of their game. He and Gustav went together and he just took that on. I mean, he and he’s just grown each year into a harder and harder defenseman. what he played through in our first playoff run was was nothing short of of tough as nails. I mean, a broken foot. I think he might have had a concussion. I don’t know. But he had separated his shoulder twice. He had torn his oblique. He just went through and that that for me has set up who he’s become now. The pressure is off him in terms of puck movement, but he play against the other team’s very best every night. And goalie tonight. Yeah. Then he goes, “Yeah.” Paul, as you’ve gone through your coaching career, what have you found to be, you know, learning how to strike that balance of when to apply pressure to a group, when maybe to lay off, and how much of a learning process has that been throughout your career? That’s a great question. It’s probably the thing that we all do every day, even when we’re playing well. Like that’s am I pushed to how and right from we have uh testing that we do now to get a better idea of their bodies, but there’s not a lot of tests for the brain, right? for for the emotions. This is such an emotional sport and you cannot play at a high level consistently. If you’re not confident, if you’re dragging out there mentally, that’s the big challenge. So, I think you you learn to rely on the truth. If if well, I mean, I’m not coaching the team, but if if you play a game like you played against Colorado and lose, you can be all right with that. That’s that’s right. And then that way, it can’t be on the wins and losses. It has to be on the truth of how you’re playing. you win a few in a row, but you’re not playing any good. And it’s always easier to squeeze a team right when they’re playing okay uh than it is when they’re down. So, I think I think that’s the advantage of time. You learn you learn to maybe get a better feel for what they’re going through as players and the stress that’s in your room and then you tailor your approach to that. Thanks, guys. Thank you, Les.

Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice meets the media before his team plays the host Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 24, 2025.

The Panthers are coming off a 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

Edmonton led 4-1 early in the second with Daniil Tarasov coming in; he stopped all 12 shots he faced. Edmonton led 4-3 going into the third and scored its final two goals into an empty net.

Anton Lundell and Mackie Samoskevich each had a goal and an assist for Florida, which was playing without defenseman Aaron Ekblad.

Sam Reinhart extended his scoring streak to six games with a goal that made it 4-3 in the second.

Video Courtesy Florida Panthers / @FlaPanthers / Panthers Vision

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Video Courtesy Florida Panthers / Panther Vision