The 2025 Stanley Cup Final has been a real roller coaster ride. Indeed, what a couple of games we’ve had! Edmonton pulled off a thrilling 4-3 OT win in Game 1, and then Florida came back with an incredible 5-4 double-OT victory in Game 2. It’s safe to say the excitement for the next games is through the roof! So, even with all the hockey excitement, there’s been some chatter about the defense of both the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, particularly when it comes to their goaltending.
In Game 1, we had 7 goals, and then in Game 2, there were 9 goals. When you look at that compared to last year’s Stanley Cup Final, it’s almost double the action! Eventually, Paul Maurice caught wind of the criticisms about the defense from both teams.
At a press conference, he mentioned, “I don’t think either team’s played poor defensively at all. Like, I’m with that idea. The 2-1 game, like that’s more of what we’re accustomed to. That’s, we’re a defensive bent team. But you can watch the game and you know if your team’s playing as hard as it can defensively or if it’s mentally right. And I think both teams are. I don’t think either team, and the goaltending’s been good. Like, like really good.”
Maurice was determined that neither team has slipped up on defense. He mentioned that both teams have really been all in on defense, blocking shots, backchecking, and giving it their all with intensity. The head coach of the Florida Panthers pointed out that both teams’ goaltenders have been impressive, mentioning how the high-danger chances have led to some amazing saves.
In Game 2, Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was on fire with an impressive 42 saves, while Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner also had a solid performance with 37 saves. The stats really back up what Maurice is saying—goaltending has been pretty solid in these high-scoring games. Further praising the defense, he said, “And there’s places that we got to get better, for sure. But we’re not at a, there’s places we hope to get better. Might be a better way to put it. Both teams are competing defensively. They’re blocking shots. They’re battling. They’re back checking. And it’s still a high event game. That’s some high-end skill.”
NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA Stanley Cup Playoffs-Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs May 14, 2025 Toronto, Ontario, CAN Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice during the post game media conference after game five of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Toronto Scotiabank Arena Ontario CAN, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJohnxE.xSokolowskix 20250514_mcd_ss9_240
The coach acknowledged that there’s always room for improvement, but pointed out that the defense has been relentless—just like the style of hockey both teams have shown. This series has demonstrated that, despite the flashy scores, it’s really all about the disciplined and structured competition. The close margins highlight how efficient both blue lines and the goalies have been. In addition, Maurice has brought up the clubs’ aggressive on-ice performance.
Paul Maurice goes candid on Florida Panthers’ physical plays
The Florida Panthers know all about the physical intensity that comes with the postseason. They’ve really stuck to this strategy, and you can definitely see it in the recent matchups. So, in Game 2, when the first period was winding down and the score was tied at 2-2, Panthers forward Sam Bennett had a bit of a clash with the Oilers goalie, Stuart Skinner, and got called for goaltender interference. “Very surprised,” the forward said when asked about the incident, drawing a lot of attention from everyone around.
Besides the play, head coach Paul Maurice highlighted that his team has built a reputation for toughness, urging opponents to match that level of intensity on every shift, stating, “I think that we take some beatings. We take hits. We get hit. The standard theme is people have a general, pretty strong idea of the style of game that we play, and they play the same game when they play us. This series doesn’t look like maybe the series prior. So we’re used to getting hit.”
Hockey is all about being physical, and that’s just part of the game. The Panthers really seem to embody that tough, physical style of play, especially since they’re leading the PIM chart with a whopping 303 penalty minutes. So, the coach was saying that even though the Panthers are definitely tough on their opponents, they also have to deal with that same physicality when they’re out there playing against another team. What’s the reason for that? Even while playing Florida, the opponents use the same tactic.
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