Florida coach Paul Maurice has Panthers again in Cup remaining, fueled by his combine of guffaws and onerous work
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Paul Maurice retains the day-to-day routine easy. Present up for work early and have copious quantities of espresso. Belief assistant coaches to do their jobs. Sit in on conferences when wanted. Hammer residence a constant message with gamers. Swear a bit bit typically, swear profusely at different instances.
Hey, it really works.
Within the Stanley Cup Remaining for a 3rd consecutive season with the Panthers, Maurice’s model — laugh-out-loud humorous at instances, extremely sensible and critical at others — continues to ship outcomes for Florida. He was 41-51 in his playoff profession earlier than coming to Florida; he’s 41-21 in his playoff profession with Florida. A training lifer, he already was well-respected throughout the recreation earlier than the Panthers introduced him aboard, however he by no means had something near a run like this till now.
“I’m not being disrespectful to the opposite groups I’ve coached,” Maurice mentioned. “The staff right here, that is one of the best staff I’ve ever coached. It’s not likely that shut.”
Winners of the Stanley Cup final season, the Panthers will attempt for back-to-back titles beginning Wednesday night time once they go to Edmonton for Recreation 1 of a rematch. Florida beat the Oilers final yr in seven video games for Maurice’s first Cup in a 30-year profession.
“Oh, I’ll by no means get uninterested in listening to that,” Maurice mentioned.
It’s a hilarious recreation of tug-of-war that Maurice and the Panthers gamers are engaged in lately. Gamers don’t wish to be showered in reward for making a 3rd consecutive Cup remaining; the coach insists that it’s all about them and that he simply pushes a number of buttons right here and there.
The reality is that there’s greater than sufficient credit score to go round.
“He retains issues gentle, however he expects us to work our hardest and he’s very ready and — I do know I’ve mentioned this earlier than — he can get you up for a Tuesday night time recreation towards Columbus or no matter in the midst of the yr and it seems like a playoff recreation,” ahead Matthew Tkachuk mentioned. “His speeches and his potential to get us to run by means of a wall each recreation is an enormous present.”
The speeches aren’t filibusters, nevertheless. Maurice thinks it’s critically necessary to have the power to enter the locker room, say precisely what must be mentioned and depart with out saying something extra or something much less. He’s not afraid to inform his gamers that they’re enjoying poorly. He’s not afraid to inform his gamers that he loves them, both.
He’s additionally not afraid to make himself the butt of the joke. Florida was a 122-point, President’s Trophy-winning staff the season earlier than Maurice arrived. The Panthers managed 92 factors in 12 months 1 of his period.
“Teaching,” he quipped. The 30-point drop was largely to the adjustment made by a stylistic change, and that change led them to the Cup remaining, however Maurice by no means misses an opportunity to make enjoyable of how he turned a 122-point membership right into a 92-point membership in a single day.
Panthers defenseman Seth Jones got here to Florida across the commerce deadline this season. He had lots of studying to do — new programs, new expectations, new teammates, all of that. He additionally needed to learn to get coached otherwise, which he rapidly realized wasn’t a foul factor.
“It’s totally different than what I’ve had,” Jones mentioned of Maurice’s model. “I feel he is aware of methods to actually take the temperature of the group and the scenario of the group. And he can have a gathering the place he’s very intense, calling guys out or calling the staff out. However he’s additionally superb at throwing a joke in there, throwing a humorous clip in there after we’re doing video. He’s very sensible. I feel he understands what the staff wants at any given time. I don’t suppose he will get too excessive or too low based mostly on sure conditions.”
That, the Panthers have discovered, is important.
Take into account how the title collection went final season. The Panthers gained the primary three video games and have been on the point of the Cup. Then they misplaced Recreation 4. And Recreation 5. And Recreation 6. The brink of the Cup turned the brink of a collapse, actual quick.
Maurice began speaking to his gamers about freedom and enjoying with that feeling. Recreation 7 was flawless. The Panthers gained, and on the parade a few week later, Maurice ended his rain-soaked, extremely profane remarks by throwing his arms into the air and yelling “Freedom!” on the high of his lungs to his staff.
“He will get the buy-in from the gamers and he treats all of us the identical, which I feel is absolutely necessary as a coach and to not deal with guys otherwise,” Tkachuk mentioned. “He expects us all to work onerous and deal with one another with respect and the whole lot, however he treats us all the very same. He’s been an amazing coach and we’re tremendous fortunate to have him right here.”