“They’re not an excuse. They just be a factor,” was Paul Maurice’s response on June 8 when asked if his team would have loved one more day of rest before Game 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals. Well, they were traveling back from Edmonton to South Florida to host the Oilers for Games 3 and 4. And now it’s the reverse. The 2024 Stanley Cup champions are going back to Canada. And the Panthers coach has a bold message for the fans.

Senior Digital Content Manager Jameson Olive shared a tweet on June 13 that read, “Maurice said he isn’t planning on any lineup changes for Game 5. “We’re healthy,” he says.” Game 5 is scheduled for June 14, just two days after Game 4. Exhaustion can always creep in, especially after a grueling few weeks of postseason. After all, the Stanley Cup is considered the hardest trophy to win for a reason. And with 3 of the 4 games played in the series going to overtime, the finals have not given the players any physical respite.

But Paul Maurice is adamant his men can deal with it. Olive’s next post includes the coach’s words to the media: “Maurice says #FlaPanthers are used to playing games after long flights. Given their location, they usually always have a few games a year where they fly back from the West Coast and play the next day.” Absolute top-notch, battle-hardened mindset from the 58-year-old whose team has looked more than ready to grind out their defense of Lord Stanley’s Cup.

And what he said is true. The Atlantic Division team has had to play many games against the Pacific Division teams in the 2024 regular season. This includes Vegas Golden Knights, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, and others. They are used to traveling. Conditioning and recovery from long flights is the first thing they have to learn if a team has to be a Stanley Cup contender.

Addressing the same question before Game 3, Paul Maurice would say in the press conference, “Well, if they had played the next day, only had a day’s rest or they fly in the day…Those are minor factors that we’ll look back on”. And apparently, not having an extra rest day wouldn’t matter. Because psychologically, they are so pumped up for the Finals, they don’t feel tired.

Yep, that’s how the Panthers coach laid down on June 1, even before the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals (SCF) started. “I will say we will have more energy for this series than any of the three prior, and that’s been true …  in each round, it seemed a bigger build to excitement, just because the light’s at the end of the tunnel.”

Well, they are closer than ever, both the Oilers and the Panthers. Just 3 games to go and the Panthers are infazed by the latest Game 4 setback.

Paul Maurice and his men relishing Game 5 challenge after loss on home ice

The Panthers were leading 3-0 in the 1st period on June 12. The final score: 5-4 Overtime win for the Oilers thanks to a Leon Draisaitl one-handed special. Sure, it’s a disappointing end on home ice for Maurice’s men. But they are not down, not even close. When asked about how the Panthers head coach was feeling, he said, “I think we have a real good handle on the depth of it … I felt this way about the series last year.”

And they were the ones who eventually prevailed in 2024. So, Paul Maurice won’t be feeling uncomfortable with the situation they are in. And neither is Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers alternate captain is looking at the positives in the Game 4 loss. “I thought we did a lot of good things. Yeah, it’s a best-of-three. With losing this one, we’ve got to go in there (Edmonton) and win one eventually, so hopefully we can do it in Game 5.”

Tkachuk also spoke of leaving this defeat behind. “The team that moves on from this, and the team that recovers the fastest, is going to have the bigger advantage on Saturday. That’s it.” And forward Sam Reinhart didn’t even mind the loss. “A lot of the success in postseason is how you handle your losses. They’re going to happen, especially when you get down to the last two teams …So you’ve got to expect to lose at some point. There’s a lot we can learn from and come back strong in Game 5.”

Who do you think will win in Game 5? And who will eventually become the 2025 Stanley Cup Champions, let us know in the comments!