Paul Maurice, Florida Panthers: Preseason Pregame vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

really looking for the players that are fighting for those last jobs to make their statement in the game uh within a version of a structure of of the way that we play. So, it is an important game tonight for those guys. I’ll get them lots of minutes and uh and get a good look at them. We saw what happened last game rivalry. It’s only the preseason, but are these games more meaningful when it’s against your rival? you know, more meaningful. There’s just more potential for them to escalate because we see each other so much and we got really good players on both teams and they both won. So, there’s a connection there. So, as long as it’s, you know, reasonable, it’ll it’ll stay that way. Once it gets out of hand, it just gets out of hand fast. Um, I think everybody had enough of it though last game. And I would seen that enough times that a lot of times the next game there’s really nothing to it because both teams kind of stood up for themselves and they both agree that this is the way it’s going to go if it gets silly. So usually the puck just gets managed pretty well. Cole Schwink gets picked up off Ws. You talk about guys fighting for teams kind of takes a spot there. What are you expecting out of him or what do you hope to see from him? For me it’s just an introduction. the people in the organization here know him, know his personality and have a good understanding. For me, it’s a look at center ice and I’ll play him on a line that that might perform together in in game one. Uh so I get to know him. That’s it. Um the when his name came up, it was pretty quick. They were very excited about the idea they could add a player with Anton being out of the lineup and we’re kind of not sure where that would be. We’ve got at that point we would have three of our centermen for last year out of our lineup. Center depth was an area that we would have been looking at on the waiverss at the end. Uh so when that came out that one was obvious for us. Yeah, he’s obviously was before your time to prospect. But do you now that he’s he’s here but you haven’t seen anything. He wasn’t Well, I mean I’ve seen him play. He played against us and he played half the season last year. So I’ve seen him play. I have pretty good idea. He and Kai’s games are fairly similar in terms of how they approach it. So, we think he can fit. He’s a big man that can move. Have you seen Macky’s game kind of evolved in the last year? We got You know what? We got to get him in some hockey games, some NHL regular season games. He’s stronger and faster in practice and in training camp easily than he was the two previous years. Also, there’s the processing time gets quite a bit shorter on what we’re running without the puck. So, that then that’s a part of a player getting faster. He’s got less time processing, more time uh moving and then more confidence. He’s not deferring in practice as much. He knows when he’s supposed to shoot the puck, everybody expects him to. He’s not trying to find a more veteran player on the ice to give it to. So, all comes with experience and comfort. I am looking forward to see him at full tilt. uh in a game. How have you seen in the last three evolution of this from a guy that nobody really knew to wow, he’s on the NHL roster to to what he means he probably is still unknown around the league, but he came in and played the year and and started the playoffs. The first two playoff games we won, he was in our lineup. I would say the same about us that I I just said about Mackey and that the processing time now is shorter. His conditioning, he’s made huge strides in it. It was it was a negative form at the start when he first got here and he probably made the team on his compete and now he’s caught up to that. So, he looks like a full-blown pro out in the ice and we would have no problem putting him in the lineup. just as a hockey fan, that story of how he ended up here or didn’t even think about the NHL anymore wasn’t a dream. It was just gone. And now, right, guys. And you uh it’s a credit to the guys that found them, though. Those European scouts, they work hard and their ability to find players that can play that we play the way we play. But even at that time, you know, and I were kind of new together coming in with how we wanted to play. Uh it’s a great great story and his personality is starting to come out more so you get to hear a little bit more about him. Big smile on his face. He he’s a part of what we do. He’s just not particularly well known around the league. So often we talk about the depth of this team. How significant has it been to have so many players who have flexibility? And even with that and I agree it’s a real strength. Uh we’ve we’ve had enough injuries over the years that we’ve been forced into moving players around enough that by the time we had gotten to the playoffs, we’ just seen it a bunch of times. We’ve never, you know, A2 has come into the middle very briefly though in that time. So now we’ll take a little longer look at him if that’s a place that we’ve got to go because it’s a it’s not a one-month injury that we’re dealing here with the center iceman. So that will be a part of what this year is about about learning. I would like to see where we think A2 would be at in the middle. If if Lundell plays, I’ll put him back on the wing, but we’re going to look at that anytime we have a center out. Sergey, please. Is

Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice meets the media after morning skate in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025.

Cole Schwindt was a third-round pick by the Panthers in 2019, but was traded as part of the Matthew Tkachuk blockbuster in 2022.

Florida claimed him off waivers on Friday; Schwindt will center Florida’s fourth line in the final preseason game against the Lightning and could be in the Opening Night lineup Tuesday against the Blackhawks.

The Panthers Have Done It Again, Repeat as Cup Champs: https://floridahockeynow.com/florida-panthers-repeat-stanley-cup-champions-2025/

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/

In Game 6, the Panthers led 2-0 in the first off goals from Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk.

Reinhart made it 3-0 with his second of the game before he got his hat trick — and then a fourth goal.

Sam Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

For the most in-depth coverage of the Florida Panthers:
— Visit Florida Hockey Now — https://floridahockeynow.com

— Subscribe to Florida Hockey Now: https://floridahockeynow.com/membership-account/subscribe-to-fhn/

— Like Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flahockeynow/

— On Bluesky:

* https://bsky.app/profile/georgerichards.bsky.social

—Follow us on Twitter: 

* https://twitter.com/GeorgeRichards

* https://twitter.com/thegovman

Video Courtesy Florida Panthers / Panther Vision

4 comments
Leave a Reply