Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice speaks to the media on his team’s off day in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, May 2, 2025.
The Panthers won the best-of-7 first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 for the second straight postseason.
Florida will play the Toronto Maple Leafs in Eastern Conference semifinals.
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, Florida took a 4-3 lead on a Sam Bennett goal late in the second.
Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Sasha Barkov, Eetu Luostarinen, and Sam Reinhart also scored for the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves.
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Video Courtesy Florida Panthers / Panthers Vision
46 Comments
I wonder if Paul Maurice will be counting the number of powerplays for the refs again this year 😂
Should be a great series. I can’t wait! Let’s Go Cats!!
Leafs in 4
Love you Paul….from Toronto! May the best team win this series! 💪
Leafs vs Panthers, hoping to see some great battles and great hockey. Bring it on Panthers, we are ready!
Leafs just barely got past a young sens team experiencing playoffs for the first time, many likening them as 'Panthers Junior.' Now they get Matthew Tkachuk and the panthers themselves. This is the real test for the leafs, they rewrite their own narrative if they can get to the conference final.
f u paul marrice u didnt bring the CUP to Canada i will NEVER forgive you. Damn it go to hell
Speaks like a guy who knows his team is going to win again…
1:50 Matthews scored 69 and got selke nominated, guys like that , reinhart , Barkov are invaluable.
This series should be great
Humble coach. Says a lot about his integrity. But…… GO, Leafs, GO!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO LEAFS GO!
I'm a Leafs fan. I HATE the Fla Panthers. I absolutely LOVE Paul Maurice. I'D run through a wall for this man! Looking forward to playing you coach.
I remember when MAURICE coached TORONTO
Are there actual Panthers in Florida?
Florida in 7
Leafs in 6 👊
If the Cats play like we know they can, they are going to absolutely DEVOUR the Leafs. I think Toronto is better under Berube, but Cats hockey is just another beast.
Sens fan here, didnt want to face you guys, take down the leafs.
The Leafs are on their way up the mountain. Go Leafs!
Who ever wins this, I think goes to the final. Go Leafs
If the Cats play their game like they did against Tampa idc if the deserts dry how the doves cry I spy with my lil eye panthers in 5 👋
Go Cats
Love this man. And I'm a Leaf fan.
Go-lf Leafs Go-lf hahahahahahaha
Every team that has fired or not re-signed Maurice are worse for it. Best coach imo. Wish he never left Toronto
How can you win a playoff with i don't hit Sundin.
Classy guy, loved when he coached the Leafs.
BUT
Go Leafs Go.
He's a great self promoter. When his team wins it all because of him but when they lose Paul throws someone under the bus. He is the weakest link in the Panthers organization. Hope the leafs make him snap couldn't happen to a more arrogant person
The "reason" home ice isn't as important now than it used to be, is that the question itself is flawed. The salary cap has met its purpose and brought parity to the league. Prior to it, the reason the "home" team would usually win a series was because the team with home ice advantage was generally far more stacked than the team that didn't. The disparity between a first seed and an eight seed was like a first seed and a bottom feeder now. There were usually two and at most three teams that had a realistic shot at the cup any given year. Now, it wouldn't be shocking if one of a dozen or more teams happen to win it. Eg, Winnipeg (1st overall) is favoured to beat St. Louis (14th best) but nobody would be "shocked" if the Blues take the series. Imagine if the 1977 1st place Montreal Canadians (132 points) played the 14th place Cleveland Barons (63 points) and lost. It wouldn't just be shocking, it would be cause to burn down the city! It wouldn't be "home ice advantage" that was the reason Montreal would wipe the floor with them, it was because they had most of the top players and the Barons had none.
Paul knows he's going to win the cup haha. But he's such a nice guy.
Leafs have to prove they are a playoff team and not just a regular season team. This will be a test. I think Panthers will win but can the leafs push them to game 7 and if they can that is okay for this year.
IF Toronto can win the Florida series, they may go all the way — GO LEAFS GO
Watch for OEL Stollie and Lorentz ex Panthers and Pacioretty
Let’s Gooooo
Jets, Leafs, Panthers…maybe back to the Jets someday….this guy is class.
Maurice is a classy guy, and I'm a leaf fan
Class act. Both He and Coach Cooper, both great NHL coaches. It's just sad knowing Toronto Maple Leafs are going to end their (The Panthers) playoff hopes in Round 2.
Paul Maurice was great coach in Toronto, I liked him, wish they didn’t fire him. This series with Florida will be a tough one for the leafs, might be lucky to win 2 games.
Panthers in 5
Go cat's go
Panthers in 5
I hear that Fan Duel's over/under on Sam Bennett injuring a Leaf player is 1.5 games.
I used to watch Paul play for spits
It feels like yesterday (2023) when the Florida-Boston series happened and everyone said Boston in 4, Boston in 5 and then Florida beat them in 7, and went to the finals and won the cup the following year. Anything can happen in this game, just remember that, it turns around fast and look at Boston know. Florida can fall off just as quick as they went up.
I hope the Panthers get swept. Paul Maurice is alright though.
Sorry Paul, you will have to try again next year. AM34 v McD97 this yr.
Leaf fan here. What a team Florida are. Great Goaltending, great skill and the best grinders in the League. And they are all coached by this guy. Another Hall of Famer. It is going to be so tough to get by these guys if not impossible. I agree home ice is not that important anymore. It is the least important factor in the NHL than in any other professional league.
В Торонто играют вратарь Столарц, Экман-Ларссон и Лоренц……все они бывшие пантеры……лучше всех зарекомендовал себя Столарц…….вот и посмотрим противостояние между Бобровским и Столарцом, которого несомненно учил Боб…..можно сказать учителем и учеником……вперед коты…..вы самые лучшие и сильные……дай вам БОГ только побед!