He answered a lot of questions. He also had something to ask.
“How can I be the only person here today in a good mood?” -Maurice asked, somewhat rhetorically, somewhat seriously.
Yes, the Panthers lost their last two games and were embarrassed in one of them. Yes, they have blown two opportunities to win the Stanley Cup. Yes, a 3-0 lead in the title series against the Edmonton Oilers was cut to 3-2, after the Panthers lost Game 5 at home 5-3 on Tuesday night. Yes, Game 6 is in Edmonton on Friday night and, yes, Oilers star Connor McDavid just had back-to-back games the likes of which have never been seen before in the Cup Final.
No, that doesn’t mean the Panthers are worried about wilting under pressure.
“You’re going to think I’m lying to you,” Maurice said. “I’m more comfortable. I understand the feeling of 3-2 because most series are like that; The 3-0 is more of an aberration, right? Pressure. “I think we think about these things possibly differently and I’m not sure I agree with the assessment that the pressure has been on us so much.”
Forget about on-ice matters for a moment. Nearly every historical statistic Maurice can show his team before boarding another flight to Edmonton on Thursday says trends over time show Florida should like his chances:
– The Panthers won Game 1. Game 1 winners win the Cup 76% of the time.
— They led the series 2-0. Teams in that situation win the Cup at a rate of 91%.
— They led the series 3-0. The Cup rate there: 96%.
– They won 3-1. Cup rate in that situation: 97%.
— They are winning 3-2. Cup rate in that situation: 81%. After being outscored 13-1 from the end of Game 3 to basically the middle of Game 5, after losing 8-1 in their last trip to Edmonton and losing at home on Tuesday night, the Panthers still lead the series. No one, if offered the opportunity to be in this place on the first day of camp in the fall, would have turned down.
“It’s still 3-2,” Maurice said.
Of course, Edmonton has done what it had to do. He has defended himself from elimination twice. It has sent the series back to Alberta and will have the opportunity, in front of its own rowdy, delirious, Cup-hungry fans, to try to force the final, a Game 7, in Florida, to be played on Monday night. The Panthers are nearing their limits, but they still believe they can make the change they need to finish this.
“I think we were gripping the sticks a little too hard,” Panthers forward Sam Bennett acknowledged after Game 5. “We wanted it too much tonight. …We just have to win one game. It’s as simple as that.”
There are certainly things the Panthers need to clean up. No one was happy with how, after losing 8-1, they dug themselves into a 3-0 hole to start Game 5. They’ve been outscored on their own power plays 2-1, which is inexcusable on several levels.
There are also things you like. That’s what Maurice preaches now that there are only one or two games left in the season.
“Our 5-on-5 game was as good last night as it has been the entire series,” Maurice said. “That gets you out of bed and gets you ready for Game 6.”
AP NHL Playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
