Panthers coach Paul Maurice praises 'world-class' Toronto Maple Leafs stars
Of all the people who know what the pressure of working for the Toronto Maple Leafs is like, few probably have a better understanding than Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice.
Nearly two decades ago now, Maurice was the Leafs’ coach for a two-year run back in 2006-2008, before getting canned after failing to make the playoffs in both years, winning 40 and 36 games, respectively.
Later this year, Maurice will be celebrating 30 years since he first took an NHL head coaching gig with the Hartford Whalers, also having two stops with the Carolina Hurricanes, a one-year flirtation with Magnitogorsk Metallurg of the KHL, a season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, and nine years with the Winnipeg Jets before finding a home in Florida.
Ultimately, his Toronto chapter is a relatively small one in his illustrious career, but he’s slated to face off against his old employer in the playoffs for the second time in three seasons in a second-round series getting underway next week.
While Maurice has been known for some occasional feist in the media, he wasn’t ready to provide any bulletin board material just yet, heaping praise on the Leafs’ core forward group, likely directing his comments towards Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, John Tavares and William Nylander.
“They’ve got four or five of these world-class guys that [their] hands aren’t like anybody else’s. So there’s a skill level that these guys possess that they’re just dangerous all the time,” Maurice said about the Leafs in a radio interview Friday morning with The Joe Rose Show.
Maurice also told Rose that there are no weak teams left in the league, and any potential opponent is a bona fide contender.
“You’re going to get down to the top eight teams in the NHL. And I don’t think there’s a Cinderella story left here. These are all elite teams. They’ve all got guys that can score, can skate, can battle. So it will be a very, very hard-fought, tight series.”
The Panthers have built up an identity as one of the league’s more physical teams, evidenced by their league-leading 2,446 hits this past regular season.
“It’s about building your culture. But we’re at a point now, we get hit all the time, right? We give big hits, but we get hit too. It’s just not that big a deal,” Maurice said.
Maurice also knows one of the key Leafs better than most, with Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz being the backup to Florida starter Sergei Bobrovsky during last season’s Stanley Cup run.
“We had a good relationship, that’s true. It was a good partnership as well last year. It’s going to be good. It’s going to be fun. He’s a good goalie,” Bobrovsky said today, per Florida Panthers team beat reporter Jameson Olive.
What the Leafs said about the Panthers
On the Toronto side of things, the respect seemed mutual for last year’s champions.
“They’re obviously the Stanley Cup Champs, so they’re a very good team,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said Thursday night, per NHL.com. “They’ve got a lot of good pieces, they’re hard to play against. You know, I could keep going on and on, but it’s not the time right now.”
Toronto’s goalie wasn’t expecting to get any extra advantages due to his history with the Panthers.
“It’s going to be hard. You know, at this stage of the season, every game, every series is going to be hard,” Stolarz said. “We’re down to the final bit of teams here, so everyone wants the same goal. Everyone wants that Stanley Cup. So, teams are going to lay it on the line.”
As for the team’s captain, he said the biggest thing the Leafs can do now is mentally move on from the Ottawa series and refocus their attention towards Florida.
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