Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice finally flips the script in Winnipeg

Thursday night finally gave Paul Maurice the one result that kept dodging him in Winnipeg.

The Florida Panthers edged the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in a shootout, after a loud, high octane 3 on 3 overtime.

For Maurice, the headline is simple, it was his first win in Winnipeg as Panthers coach.

Before Thursday, Florida was 0-3 at Canada Life Centre under Maurice, and none of those nights were forgettable.

The return started with a 5-2 loss on Dec 6th 2022, then a 6-4 loss on Oct 14th 2023, then a 6-3 loss on Nov 19th 2024.

That context matters because Winnipeg is not just another stop on his schedule, it is a huge chapter of his career.

Maurice spent nine seasons behind the Jets bench, from 2013-14 into 2021-22, and he left in a way coaches almost never do.

On Dec 17th 2021, he resigned midseason, saying the group needed a new voice to get to the next place.

Panthers fans love the win, but you could also feel the little exhale for Maurice, because that building had been a brick wall for him in Florida colors.

In Winnipeg, his regular season record was 315-223-62, proof he did a lot more than just survive there.

When he stepped down, he was blunt about it, the players had not quit, but he felt he could not squeeze more out of the same message.

Florida hired him on June 22nd 2022, and the fit has been equal parts demanding and emotional ever since.

That is why this one in Winnipeg hits different, it is not revenge, it is closure with two points attached.

The game itself played like a playoff thumbnail, tight lanes, hard clears, and one mistake away from disaster before the shootout decided it.

In these coin flip games, Maurice leans on structure and patience, and he trusts his leaders to drag the details over the line.

If Florida can keep banking wins in this kind of environment, the «championship identity» talk stops being a slogan and starts being a habit.

Next up, the Panthers have to prove it was not just a Winnipeg moment, the standard has to travel with them to the next puck drop.