![]() But those recent events won’t loom large in the Panthers’ minds, Maurice said. Down 3-1 against the Boston Bruins, the Panthers battled back to win three straight and upset the heavily favored Bruins. The Maple Leafs are in the same position that Florida was in two weeks ago. I think (Wednesday) we didn’t do our job as well as possible, but it’s over now. We can keep the puck more in the zone and just work a little harder. “They block a lot of shots,” Barkov said. Florida did not score until more than halfway through the third period, by which point it already trailed by two goals. Toronto clogged shooting lanes and stymied the Panthers’ offense for much of Game 4. But you’ve got to be able to enjoy it.”įlorida does have areas it needs to improve on in Game 5. So if it’s not there, it’s not all giggles. “We judge ourselves by how hard we are to play against, by how hard we play,” Maurice said. The Panthers’ joyful play and proclaimed lack of pressure has carried them to the verge of the conference finals, but Maurice said that stems from a seriousness “on the matters that are important to us.” We have amazing crowds for every game in the playoffs and a lot of support for us, so it couldn’t be better.” With this group of guys, nothing’s better than that. We want to be in the playoffs, and we want to go as far as possible. ![]() “We’re living the best time of our lives right now,” center Aleksander Barkov said. They need to win just one of the next three potential games to advance to the franchise’s first Eastern Conference Finals since 1996. Although the Panthers lost Game 4, they still have a two-game cushion over the Maple Leafs. OK, we’re all good with that?”įlorida, the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, was due for a loss, having reeled off six straight playoff wins prior to Wednesday’s defeat. “We lost a game today, that happens in the playoffs,” Maurice said after the loss. Panthers coach Paul Maurice was quoting Will Ferrell’s 2008 basketball movie “Semi-Pro” in the postgame press conference. The Maple Leafs forced a fifth game with a 2-1 win over the Panthers at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday night, but Florida’s mood after the game was far from dire.
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