Paul Maurice keeps making his statements, and the Panthers keep proving him right. Just weeks ago, after wrapping up the Eastern Conference Finals, he would say this is the best team he’s ever coached. And Maurice has been around in the NHL for quite a while. More than 1900 games as a coach, 1000 wins under his belt, the guy is a seasoned veteran. And the Panthers are looking as seasoned as their coach in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals. But it was not always like that.

Before Paul Maurice took over in June 2022, the Panthers were a decent team. They won the President’s Trophy in 2021-22. They had some good players. But they were nowhere near what we are seeing now, a well-oiled machine that just dismantled the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on road ice. Well, it’s the result of 3 years of coming to understand the team, as Maurice puts it. “This team is different and I can’t explain it. Now, I’m three years in, and I’m starting to understand it a little bit.”And he isn’t taking the credit for all the good work done.

Maurice was speaking to the press on June 14 after Game 5, going over different aspects of the game. One reporter brought up how changed his team looks from 2022, the team playing with comfort and confidence. And one particular thing the pressman mentioned was how organic their domination has been, even on the road. When he asked if Game 5 reflected 3 years of changes, Paul Maurice clarified, “We were close to our identity, it’s a hard thing to establish. It’s a hard thing to get to.”

And he made it clear how his players contributed to the upgrade: “And it’s solely based on the will of the players to play a game, and then we’ve had a little bit of success with it, so why wouldn’t they, right?” Players like Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, etc., bought into his ideas. And now, with the addition of Brad Marchand, it completely looks a Paul Maurice team – professional, hard, yet skillfully adept. The Panthers are looking like the complete package.

But the coach did raise one point, “It took longer than we thought, probably because I was trying to marry two ideas, was trying to keep the whatever we had, 387 goals felt like the year before, to another game.” The Panthers were indeed a free-scoring team back then, averaging 4.11 goals per game in the 2021-22 regular season. In fact, they averaged the most goals scored per game.

Since Maurice took over, the Panthers have come to be known as a team whose success is down to their defensive solidity. But it’s the 2025 Playoffs that have shown they are now taking the game to their opponents. The defending Stanley Cup champions have scored an NHL record 61 goals on the road this postseason. They are tied for most road wins in a single playoff campaign (10).

They have absolutely come alive this year, but Paul Maurice is not lining up for his share of the praise. “I’m not trying to be humble here, this is all about the compete of the players. When your captain of your team wins Selke awards, that’s the foundation of your game.” Aleksander Barkov landed the coveted award given to a forward for his defensive contributions.  Barkov is the player who’s known for being graceful and playing with style and flair, but his defensive contributions have been vital too, especially on the penalty kill.

That says it all, doesn’t it? How Paul Maurice has made his mark. He has managed to execute what he wanted to do perfectly: a team that’s a monster in attack, a rock in the blue zone, and a complete team that humbled Connor McDavid and his men in Edmonton.

Paul Maurice’s men can make history on home ice

The Panthers arrived in Canada with a 5-4 Overtime loss on home ice. They said they were bothered by it. Well, of the two teams in Rogers Place, the Panthers were the ones who looked sharper throughout the game. All 5 goals the Panthers scored were when it was 5v5. Again, they started stronger, and the 1st goal was scored by who else but Brad Marchand.

Sam Bennett doubled it with 2 minutes remaining in the 1st period. In the last game, the Oilers fought back in the 2nd period. This time, the Panthers had done their homework.

Amazing penalty kill display, and let’s just stop talking about Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky altogether. The guy’s benchmark is being an unbeatable wall between the posts. This is while the Oilers have been unable to find the same consistency with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard.

Well, the dust has settled, and this is how it stands. Game 6 is on June 17. The Stanley Cup Finals go to Florida. Yes, history beckons for the Panthers at the Amerant Bank Arena, just like last year. Although that was Game 7. This time, the Panthers can wrap it up in Game 6, and barring a miraculous and determined turnaround from the Oilers, the Panthers are taking the 2025 Stanley Cup.