The Florida Panthers are on cloud nine at the moment. After a thrilling win over the Maple Leafs in the second round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the team made a bright start in the Eastern Conference Final. Yesterday, they defeated the Hurricanes 5-2 in Game 1 to take a 1-0 lead in the series. It was just the beginning that the Panthers were looking for as they got their game plan right on point. Additionally, their coach, Paul Maurice, was all praise for his team after the game. With a win in their kitty, Maurice made an interesting revelation on the team’s most important quality.
The Panthers have a 20-19-2 record on the road this season, putting them above many other teams in this regard. Specifically speaking, their away record in the playoffs has been amazing, which has gone on to become an important factor in the team’s success of late. Even the Panthers coach, Maurice, highlighted the importance of this.
During an interview after their victory in Game 1, Paul Maurice mentioned, “We don’t necessarily feel any different at home than we do on the road. Because they like each other, they stick together on the bench. That’s a big part of playing on the road.”
HC Paul Maurice on #FlaPanthers road success- “We don’t necessarily feel any different at home than we do on the road. Because they like each other, they stick together on the bench. That’s a big part of playing on the road.” pic.twitter.com/CmlqeNxu54
— Katie Engleson (@KatieEngleson) May 21, 2025
Interestingly, the Panthers became the first team to defeat the Hurricanes at their home in the postseason this year. Their home has become a stronghold for the Hurricanes and is difficult to breach for the opposition teams. Nonetheless, the Panthers showed why they are the strong contenders for the Stanley Cup by defeating the Hurricanes in front of their fans.
Not only did they defeat the Hurricanes, they also became the first team to score more than four goals in the Hurricanes’ home in the postseason. It goes to show the level of domination that the Panthers had against the Hurricanes. Meanwhile, the emotions are flowing in the Panthers’ roster as they get closer and closer to defending their Stanley Cup crown. After the game, the Florida players made some emotional revelations.
Echoing Paul Maurice’s observations, Panthers stars celebrate huge win with emotions
It was a complete team effort from the Panthers, as they dominated the Hurricanes with an audacious display on the ice. They were dominant right from the opening puck drop, jumping out to a 2–0 lead in the first period with power-play strikes by Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad, which set the tone for the remaining game. Subsequently, the Panthers’ stars kept pushing hard and chalked out a well-deserved victory. Satisfied with their performances, the likes of A.J. Greer and Aleksander Barkov came forward to express their emotions.
Greer said, “There’s a lot of emotion in a Game 7. To be ready to compete as hard as you can, knowing that [Carolina] had a few days’ rest and they’re playing in front of their fans? It was a huge win. Huge win and really happy.”
Further, the Panthers’ captain, Barkov, also mentioned, “We wanted to be ready for this game. We know how hard they play here in this building especially, so we wanted to be ready for this game and I think obviously we got rewarded there early.”
However, it is just the beginning for the Panthers, and there is still a long way to go in this series. Game 2 takes place tomorrow, and the Hurricanes will look to overcome the disappointment of Game 1 and make a strong comeback to level the series.
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