Panthers’ Paul Maurice makes bold claim after thrashing Maple Leafs

The Florida Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 in Game 7 to advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After forcing the winner-take-all with a strong win in Game 6, Toronto folded under pressure at home. Meanwhile, the defending champs rose to the occasion, quieting the crowd with a three-goal second period. Panthers coach Paul Maurice spoke about why his team was ready to play on Sunday night.

If the core foundation of your game is the simplest things, it doesn’t matter how your hands feel, it doesn’t matter how your body feels, it doesn’t matter how well you execute, if it’s how comfortable you are in hard situations, then you have a chance,” Maurice said, per NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin. “… We talk about Game 7 in training camp. We want to play a style of game that gives us a chance to win tonight. It gave us a chance to win tonight.”

It does not take Sherlock Holmes to figure out the double-sided nature of these comments. Not only is Maurice praising the Panthers for their calm approach to the game, but he is burying the Maple Leafs. Even under Stanley Cup Champion Craig Berube, the Maple Leafs came out flat in Game 7.

The Panthers are moving on to their third consecutive Eastern Conference Final. They will face the Carolina Hurricanes again, a rematch of the 2023 East Final, which Florida swept. If they beat the Canes again, the Panthers will have won three straight conference titles, matching their cross-state rival, Tampa Bay Lightning, who pulled that off in the three years prior.

Whatever comes next, Maurice knows that his Panthers team is prepared. Last year, they went up 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers. They blew that lead, facing all of the pressure at home in Game 7. They won, and now, Maurice knows his team has the toughness to dominate in the playoffs.