35-Yr-Previous Recommendation Binds Florida Panthers Collectively Amidst NHL Playoffs Tensions

Again within the 1987-88 season, when Jim Rutherford was finishing up a serious overhaul of the OHL’s Windsor Compuware Spitfires, he didn’t have Paul Maurice in his plans. Not as a participant, a minimum of. As a substitute, he wished Maurice to remain on as an assistant coach. “You’re indignant since you’re getting reduce, however he might inform, proper? He might inform that my path wasn’t going to be in hockey as a participant, it was going to be in teaching,” Maurice instructed The Athletic again in 2019. Had it not been for Rutherford’s provide, Maurice would maybe have by no means laid his palms on a Stanley Cup.

In any case, Maurice’s hopes of enjoying within the NHL have been over fairly early in his profession, when a deflected puck caught him in the proper eye and broken his peripheral imaginative and prescient. And ever since he discovered his calling in teaching, Maurice has been fairly frank about how Rutherford has had the largest impression on him, “each personally and professionally.” One such confession got here when the Florida Panthers coach sat with Dallas Stars Head Coach Pete DeBoer for a dialog over espresso in the course of the 2024 NHL International Collection.

“I can’t let you know the variety of occasions that I’ve acted on a chunk of recommendation that Jim Rutherford gave me 35 years in the past, if I had simply listened to him,” started Maurice throughout his chat with DeBoer, as he recalled a chunk of recommendation that he simply couldn’t digest on the time. “‘Paul, you don’t at all times should take your goalie out after a loss. You possibly can take him out after he wins a recreation, too.’” To Maurice, it made rather more sense to capitalize on the successful momentum.

“We simply gained. He’s sizzling. I’ve received to play him. After which, you realize, Sergei Bobrovsky wins his 400 the opposite evening, quickest goalie within the historical past of the NHL to get to 400, and he doesn’t play the subsequent recreation,” Maurice shared. On October 24, 2024, Bobrovsky hit a giant milestone along with his four-hundredth NHL profession win. He made 24 saves in the course of the Florida Panthers’ 3-1 win in opposition to the New York Rangers at Madison Sq. Backyard. He simply hit an enormous milestone, turning into the 14th goaltender in NHL historical past to rack up 400 wins. What’s much more spectacular is that he did it in simply 707 video games, breaking Henrik Lundqvist’s outdated report of 727 video games. However fairly than simply going with Bobrovsky’s momentum, Maurice centered on the larger image.

He was aware of the workload, making certain long-term vitality, and never pushing a key participant too laborious. As he went alongside, he seen that he was lastly placing into observe the recommendation Rutherford had given him all these years in the past, recommendation he hadn’t actually valued again then.

After that, throughout their recreation in opposition to the New York Islanders, Maurice gave Bobrovsky the required break and let Spencer Knight take his place. And now that the Panthers discover themselves in a ditch, possibly it’s time for Maurice to look again on just a few of his outdated mentor’s phrases of knowledge.

The Florida Panthers must step up their recreation

The Toronto Maple Leafs managed to seize that 2-0 collection lead, due to the increase from enjoying at dwelling. This may result in some issues for the Florida Panthers because of some historical data. What’s that each one about? They’ve received an ideal report of 11-0 in best-of-7 collection after they begin with a 2-0 lead at dwelling.

Each time the Maple Leafs kick off a collection by snagging the primary two video games at dwelling, they appear to hold that momentum by and have by no means misplaced the collection from that time on. Living proof? Their lately concluded Spherical 1 collection in opposition to the Ottawa Senators. The primary two matches at Scotiabank Area ended with Toronto popping out on high, and a win within the Canadian Tire Centre as effectively noticed the Leafs lengthen their collection result in 3-0.

However issues took a flip within the collection when the Senators made a push to return again by successful Video games 4 and 5. However Brady Tkachuk’s Stanley Cup hopes have been quashed as Toronto pulled off the win, wrapping up the collection 4-2 and shifting on to the subsequent spherical. So for the Panthers, there’s a giant problem arising in the event that they actually wish to defend their Stanley Cup.