SUNRISE, Fla. – Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said his players are “wired as probably every fan is” as Florida regroups following a 5-4 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.
“I think it’s actually easier for the players,” Maurice said. “The easiest for the group is the players. They get to go out and burn it off on the ice and then maybe a little bit easier for the coaches and the managers. And as it spreads out to people who watch it in front of their TV, I mean you’re wired, so that’s why these days are so important — that you can come down from them.”
Panthers captain Sasha Barkov said despite the loss in Game 4, he and his teammates believe that experience will help on Saturday and beyond.
“Gonna rest, relax, and then wind her back up tomorrow,” said Barkov. “I think we’re very, very well experienced. We know how it needs to be done. But yeah — everyone needs to bring their best to the next game.”
While the action on the ice drew the headlines early, it was a couple of celebrity sightings in the crowd that stirred buzz during the game — pop icon Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, NFL star and three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce.
The couple was spotted sitting together inside Amerant Bank Arena. Kelce wore all red, perhaps a nod to his Kansas City Chiefs roots — or maybe, just maybe, to support the Panthers.
The Panthers boarded their flight to Alberta on Thursday afternoon with plans to regroup and try to capture the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup championship on the road.
As the series continues, Local 10 News is encouraging fans to show their Panthers pride.
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Game 5 between the Panthers and Oilers is scheduled for Saturday at 8 p.m. at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
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