Latest news with #PaulMaurice
Global News
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Global News
ANALYSIS: Hockey in June is compelling, even with Jets out of playoffs
It's hard to imagine, but it took 1,312 regular-season games, and 78 more in the playoffs, to get to the same two teams playing for the Stanley Cup: the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers. And for teams from opposite sides of the league, and completely different geographies, this series is set up to potentially be one of the best in decades. The contrasts and contradictions and storylines are fascinating. Story continues below advertisement The loquacious Panthers coach Paul Maurice versus the reserved Kris Knoblauch. Great players on both sides — Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl versus Florida's Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk — teams that both found great success in these playoffs with the depth on their rosters. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Perhaps the biggest perceived advantage is in goal. For Florida, Sergei Bobrovsky (you would think) has an advantage over Stuart Skinner. But all Skinner has done is win game after game, with an exaggerated save percentage since regaining his form against Vegas in Round 2. There's also the amazing play of two grizzled veterans, the Oilers' Corey Perry and Panthers' Brad Marchand, who have both been integral to their team's success without changing their style one little bit. Both will drag their teams into the fight. And of course, the biggest storyline: can the Edmonton Oilers bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993? Story continues below advertisement While the city of Edmonton is already in a frenzy, it will take a few games, maybe three, for the rest of the country to catch up. Winnipeg Jets fans, Ottawa Senators fans, fans of all the Canadian teams, in fact, will look enviously at what the Oilers are doing before jumping on the bandwagon for Connor and company. But it will happen. Last season's series proved that hockey in June, even if it's not your favourite Canadian team, can grip the nation. And by the time hockey's grandest prize is given out, our country will be glued to the television, hoping that 32 pounds of silver resides in pro sports' most northerly city.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Florida Panthers will face Edmonton Oilers in Stanley Cup Final rematch
The 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the series so nice we're playing it twice. That's the result of the two conference finals that ended over the past couple evenings. First, it was Florida punching their ticket to the Final with a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night in Raleigh. Advertisement Then on Thursday, the Oilers completed their five-game series win over the Dallas Stars with a 6-3 victory at American Airlines Center. As if last season's seven-game marathon wasn't entertaining enough, now we get to do it all again, and it's very possible that both teams are even better this year than they were in 2024. During the regular season, the Panthers and Oilers met twice, once in the other's barn. Florida won both games, a pair of exciting, one-goal affairs. The first meeting was in Edmonton back in December, a 6-5 Panthers win, and then again in Sunrise in late February by a final score of 4-3. Advertisement In the first game, Florida came back from a 4-2 second period deficit, scoring three goals in the third while breaking a pair of ties to earn the two points. There was no comeback needed when the two Finalists met in South Florida a couple months later, as Florida scored first and never trailed, again outscoring the Oilers in the third period en route to the win. Leading the Panthers in points during the two games against Edmonton was Anton Lundell, with a goal and four assist. Each of Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad each logged three points against the Oilers: Verhaeghe scored twice and Reinhart once, while all of Ekblad's points were assists. Advertisement Looking at how each team has done so far during the postseason, it's no big surprised they are facing each other again. The Cats and Oilers are the two highest scoring teams in the postseason, with Edmonton averaging 3.93 goals per game and Florida putting up 3.88. Defensively, Florida has been the stingiest team in the playoffs, allowing just 2.29 goals per game. Edmonton isn't far behind, giving up 2.80. The power plays for each team are ranked 1-2, with the Oilers executing at a 29.0% success rate and the Panthers holding a respectable 23.2%. Florida's penalty kill is now the top unit in the playoffs, having successfully wiped-out 87.9 percent of their opponents power plays. Advertisement Edmonton's kill hasn't been nearly as effective, operating at a 66.7% success rate. We'll see how all this plays out when the Stanley Cup Final begins next week. Game 1 is set for Wednesday, June 4 in Edmonton. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Brad Marchand Admits This After Panthers' Series-Clinching Win Laid back celebration following Eastern Conference Final shows Panthers maturity, understanding of bigger goal to reach Why Paul Maurice Had Postgame Exchange With Rod Brind'Amour Paul Maurice Gives Promising Injury Update On Panthers Forward Three takeaways: Panthers win exciting Game 5, special teams play big role Photo caption: Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defends against Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the third period in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Schedule set for 2025 Stanley Cup Final rematch between Panthers and Oilers
The schedule has been set for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. Game 1 between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will be Wednesday, June 4 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Florida's first two home games will be on Monday, June 9 and Thursday, June 12. Advertisement Interestingly, the NHL strayed from its usual setup of one day between games in the same city and two days between games that require travel. That's likely due to the NBA Finals having a game already scheduled for Wednesday, June 11. As a result, the NHL apparently decided in lieu of extending the series an extra day, there would only be one day off between Game 4 in Sunrise and Game 5 in Edmonton. All games will air on TNT in the United States and each has an 8 p.m. puck drop. The full schedule can be seen below: Image LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Florida Panthers will face Edmonton Oilers in Stanley Cup Final rematch Advertisement Brad Marchand Admits This After Panthers' Series-Clinching Win Laid back celebration following Eastern Conference Final shows Panthers maturity, understanding of bigger goal to reach Why Paul Maurice Had Postgame Exchange With Rod Brind'Amour Paul Maurice Gives Promising Injury Update On Panthers Forward Photo caption: Dec 16, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Florida Panthers defensemen Dmitry Kulikov (7) tries to tie up Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the third period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
NHL fans stunned as Panthers, Hurricanes coaches ignore handshake after playoff series ends
NHL fans stunned as Panthers, Hurricanes coaches ignore handshake after playoff series ends (Image Source: Getty Images) The Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes. That win ended the Hurricanes' season. Players and coaches basically line up and shake their hands after the final game of a playoff series. This time, the coaches did not. Panthers coach Paul Maurice and Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour stayed behind. They did not go out to join the handshake. Some fans also saw them talking in a tense way after the game ended. Panthers, Hurricanes Coaches may have had a disagreement Usually, when the last game ends, all players and coaches line up. They shake hands to show respect. It is a tradition in hockey. Even if the games are rough, players and coaches still show good sportsmanship. The two head coaches, however, kept away this time. They might have had a little disagreement or argument. Though we are not sure what they spoke to each other, their manner did not appear warm. People watching the game were surprised. This kind of thing does not happen often. Fans and reporters asked why the coaches did not shake hands. Some were upset. Others thought it was fine. Also Read: Coaches to get a 50% salary hike | More sports News - Times of India Fans are supporting Coach Maurice Many fans said Coach Maurice was right. They said the handshake is for the players only. The players do all the hard work. They play the game, block shots, and fight for the win. Some people said it's okay for coaches to skip the handshake. But other fans said no. They said coaches should lead by example. Even when it is hard, they should show good behavior. They said the handshake is about respect, and coaches should show that too. Neither coach gave a full answer after the game. They only talked about the season and their teams. Maurice said he was proud of the Panthers. Brind'Amour said his team played hard all year. Now the Panthers are going to the Stanley Cup Final. They lost in the final last year but now have another chance. The Hurricanes are out. Their season is over. The handshake moment is still being talked about. Some say it was rude. Some say it's no big deal. But everyone agrees playoff games are full of emotion. Sometimes, things don't go the usual way.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
As Panthers return to Stanley Cup Final, they still have a ‘bigger goal in mind'
Watch this Florida Panthers team's celebration on Wednesday night, and you will start to understand their bigger goal. Florida had just punched its ticket once again to the Stanley Cup Final — its third consecutive season making it to the final series, its third consecutive opportunity to win it all — with a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final. And yet, everything appeared to be business as usual. The Panthers went through the handshake line, put on their conference championship hats, skated down to one end of the ice at the Lenovo Center, took their obligatory team photo with the Prince of Wales Trophy and were off to the dressing room. 'You hope that you get to this point,' said veteran forward Brad Marchand, who joined the Panthers at the trade deadline in March. 'Obviously, we have a great team and we've played well so far. We got to the point where we want to be, but we haven't accomplished anything yet.' That final accomplishment — repeating as Stanley Cup champions — is still on the horizon, still four wins away. It was the Panthers' goal to repeat ever since they stepped onto the ice for training camp. After setting this standard over the past few years, why settle for anything less — and why celebrate anything less? 'The bigger picture has changed maybe a little bit for our team,' Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. 'The first time, you fight to get to the Final and it's such a big deal. Then you do it a couple of times and you understand you're three quarters of the way through and there's a lot more that has to happen. But we'll enjoy that win tonight. It was all the elements that make our sport great.' Those elements? Start with the ferocious comeback, something the Panthers became known for a few years ago but hasn't materialized as much this year. Florida trailed 2-0 after one period on Tuesday after Sebastian Aho scored twice, capitalizing each time on Florida turnovers. But the Panthers never relented and scored three times in the second period on goals by Matthew Tkachuk, Evan Rodrigues and Anton Lundell. Carolina tied the score 8:30 into the third period on a Seth Jarvis goal, but Carter Verhaeghe gave the Panthers the lead for good less than four minutes later after scoring on a stellar pass from captain Aleksander Barkov. Sam Bennett capped scoring with an empty-netter. 'We definitely got some momentum once we got the first [goal], and that's kind of been our mindset throughout the playoffs,' Verhaeghe said. 'Every game, we're just building trying to get one. We're not trying to open up our game or play a different way than our style. Guys made great plays at critical times.' Continue with the shutdown effort. After scoring those three goals in the second period, Florida limited Carolina to just nine total shots on goal over the final 28 minutes, including just four in the third period. The Panthers also went a perfect 6 for 6 on the penalty kill, with four of those coming after taking the 3-2 lead. 'We have done it so many times and we had the confidence that we were gonna do it this time as well,' said Bobrovsky, who posted a .935 save percentage over the five-game series against Carolina. 'Guys compete. Guys work hard. ... It was a solid performance by us.' And for this Panthers team, it was just another day of work. That mentality was shown postgame. The celebration was muted, a far contrast from two years ago against this same Hurricanes team when the Panthers made it to the first of now three consecutive Cup Finals. 'We didn't come here to to win the Eastern Conference,' Barkov said. 'It's a huge achievement; I'm not saying anything bad about it. But we got to where we wanted. We're in the Final once again, and we want to win the Stanley Cup, just like any other team. So obviously we're happy. We're really tired right now, but we're happy with what we just achieved and the way we achieved it. It was a tough, tough game. Carolina played so well, and the way we managed to win this game is for sure one that you remember.' Added Tkachuk: 'I remember a few years ago it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at that point. I know we talked about last year that it's part of the journey, same as this year. It's all business. We've got a bigger goal in mind.' That bigger goal is still there for the taking. 'From the start of the year, 31 teams go home unhappy,' forward Sam Reinhart said. 'We're trying to be the last one and the one team that's happy at the end.'
