Paul Maurice’s Florida Panthers just bagged another sweet W on home ice, back-to-back, and did it in gritty fashion. Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett lit the lamp, Sergei Bobrovsky slammed the door with 23 rock-solid saves, and just like that, we’re all knotted up at 2-2 in this spicy second-round showdown. Oh, and let’s not forget; this isn’t just another series. The Panthers already sent the Leafs packing last year, owned the regular season series 3-1, and now they’ve evened the playoff score again. But things got extra heated down in Sunrise, especially when Leafs’ Max Domi delivered a nasty check that sent Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov face-first into the boards.
Yep, Domi got tagged for boarding, and chaos quickly followed. Scrums? Oh yeah, everywhere. But that wasn’t the only bruise of the night. Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues took a brutal shoulder-to-shoulder hit from Toronto’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson right near the bench, and the dude was slow to get up, had to be helped off the ice. The hit earned Ekman-Larsson a five-minute major… until it was cut down to a two-minute interference after a review. And now, Paul Maurice finally gave the lowdown on Evan Rodrigues’ injury scare while cooling concerns about Barkov after that wild Game 4 brawl.
In a video the Florida Panthers dropped, things got real during the postgame presser when Coach Paul Maurice was tossed a couple of loaded questions after that high-octane Game 4 showdown. One reporter came in hot with, “Paul, first, just an update. Scary moment there with Barky at the end. Is he gonna be okay, you think?” And Paul, with that calm-cool-maestro vibe, replied, “Yeah, we think he’ll be all right.”
But the questions didn’t stop there. Another one flew in about Evan Rodrigues, who’d taken a rough knock that had fans holding their breath. The reporter slid in a follow-up: “Paul, another interesting thing, Evan Rodriguez, any update on him?” Maurice gave it straight with a side of mystery, saying, “No, he’s gonna need evaluation tomorrow to understand.” So for now, it’s all eyes on tomorrow’s checkup while the Panthers hold their breath just a little.
Boston University Men’s Ice Hockey/ Instagram
And guess what? Coach Paul Maurice wasn’t waiting ’til the last minute to stir the pot, he’d already dropped some tea before Game 3 when the Panthers were trailing 2-0 and feeling the pressure. “We’ve got some guys we have to look at with health. We’ll [make those decisions] at game time.” But fans couldn’t help but connect the dots, especially since Evan Rodrigues had already taken a brutal shot in Game 2 from Scott Laughton that sent him flying into the boards. He did come back, but by the third period, Mackie Samoskevich slid into his second-line spot. Coach wasn’t hiding the reason though, adding casually that he “wanted to make sure Evan Rodrigues was OK.”
And speaking of question marks and sore spots, we gotta talk about the elephant on the ice; Matthew Tkachuk. Yep, the Panthers’ firestarter hasn’t been at full beast mode lately. Remember, he had that nagging groin injury from way back in February during the 4-Nations Face-Off Tournament and spent the rest of the regular season chilling on long-term injured reserve. Now? Word is, he’s still not at 100%, and Maurice hasn’t sugarcoated it.
Paul Maurice makes a confession about Matthew Tkachuk!
So, here’s the deal with Matthew Tkachuk, he came in hot, firing on all cylinders in Game 1 against the Bolts, bagging two goals and an assist like he never even missed time. But ever since then? The fire’s simmered a bit. The spark’s still there, but it’s been more smoke than flames lately. And Panthers coach Paul Maurice? He’s not sweating it. When pressed about Tkachuk’s quiet spell in Round 2, Maurice gave one of those classic, laid-back answers like only he can: “Well, I just feel the same way that I feel about Barkov or, you know, we’ve got two other guys, let’s say Reinhardt instead…” Basically, he’s saying sometimes it’s just puck luck, maybe it’s a gnarly save, maybe a weird bounce, but the effort? Still there.
Dec 14, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) during the second period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images/ File Photo
He doubled down with some name-dropping, sliding in stars like Reinhardt and even Auston Matthews to make his point. Maurice explained that elite players, those 50 or 60-goal monsters, still get their chances, even when the scoreboard doesn’t show it. “Rhyno’s had a bunch he’s missed… Auston Matthews, I feel the same way when I watch the video. He’s got the puck on his stick… I’m not feeling very good about it behind the bench… doesn’t go I feel a lot better about it,” he said. Basically, it’s all about vibes behind the bench, heart racing when those snipers wind up, relief flooding in when it doesn’t hit twine.
Now, don’t get it twisted, Maurice is defending his guy, but fans aren’t blind. Tkachuk hasn’t quite looked like the wrecking ball we’ve all come to expect lately. His energy’s dipped just enough for people to notice. Sure, the coach is cool with it for now, chalking it up to puck bounces and tough D, but everyone knows this squad’s gonna need that old Tkachuk swagger real soon if they wanna keep dancing deep into spring.
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