“Very tough team to play against,” Matthew Tkachuk knew the Carolina Hurricanes wouldn’t make things easy for the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, as the dust settles at the PNC Arena, it looks like the defending champs aren’t also going to give the Metropolitan Division heavyweights a hall pass to the next stage of the Stanley Cup race. And yet, the display on the ice wasn’t enough to make Paul Maurice feel confident about the road ahead.

The Florida Panthers walked away with a thumping 5-2 victory over the Canes just minutes ago. Some would say that the victory would now give the momentum to the Cats, but Paul Maurice isn’t convinced that such a skill level is enough to get his squad through to the next round.

The Florida Panthers’ digital content manager, Jameson Olive, took to X on May 20 to share how the veteran coach wasn’t satisfied with how Tkachuk and teammates failed to bring their A-game to the ice in Game 1 against Carolina. “I didn’t love our game tonight,” Paul Maurice was quoted as saying. The coach noticed significant changes in the play style of the team, but mentioned that he “understood” it nonetheless.

The Panthers have now won five of their last six games. In Game 7 against the Maple Leafs, the Cats picked up a major 6-1 win to secure their spot in the Conference Finals. Naturally, today’s win only made things sweeter. “I thought our guys did a great job with the skating, with the whole game. It was a complete game. We’re happy with the win. It’s important to get the first one,” said Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky after the match. “We were skating well today,” Sam Bennett also reflected a similar sentiment. But veteran coach Paul Maurice wasn’t one to be satisfied.

“Game 1 is that first look at what your game looks like against a completely different opponent. We will have to continue to build that game and get better,” Paul said, on how it’s now of paramount importance to keep the momentum going in order to keep the Hurricanes at bay in the upcoming games. Goals from Carter Verhaeghe, Aaron Ekblad, A.J. Greer, Bennett, and Eetu Luostarinen brought the game home for the Panthers, and Coach Maurice would definitely have at least something to be pleased about.

However, while the attacking prowess of the Florida Panthers was once again displayed in all its glory tonight, Paul Maurice also has some rough edges to be concerned about in the coming days.

Paul Maurice’s boys aren’t out of the woods yet

Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves, out of 33 shots taken at him, to keep the Canes at bay at the latter’s home venue tonight. Carolina looked intimidating, and they weren’t afraid to exert dominance at the PNC Arena despite fighting a losing battle. However, seeing the Canes constantly bumping into the Panthers’ goalie made even NHL analyst Elliotte Friedman clench his breath as he was heard saying, “I think the goalies need to be protected,” during a Sportsnet panel discussion. Definitely something for Paul Maurice to worry about?

Moreover, Maurice, being the perfectionist he is, always wants his squad to be on top of their game. When Matthew Tkachuk returned to the roster before the playoffs, the coach wasn’t pleased with how the star forward looked on his comeback. While Tkachuk was elated after returning to action against the Tampa Bay Lightning, his coach barely shared his glee.

“I thought his game was okay,” Maurice told reporters dryly, underscoring that he expected something much better from Chucky. Now, the only thing to see is if the coach’s high demands are met by his players as Game 2 between the Cats and Canes awaits around the corner. What are your predictions for the upcoming Thursday match of the Eastern Conference Finals? Share with us below!