One special trait that defines Paul Maurice's leadership in Florida
|
Jonathan Ouimet
Jan 13, 2026 (2:37 PM)
|
|
Photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Paul Maurice sounds confident again as the Florida Panthers surge, with A.J. Greer on the Sam Bennett line driving this road trip.
After a rough start to their six-game trip, Florida has steadied itself with wins in Ottawa and Buffalo. The swing matters, because it resets the room before the hard miles ahead.
Monday's 4-3 win over the Sabres had real weight, because Buffalo had been rolling and KeyBank Center had been a problem lately. Florida snapped a six-game Sabres home winning streak and beat a team that had won 13 of 15.
Paul Maurice's confidence in this group isn't just a vibe, it's something the players can actually lean on shift after shift. When your coach is calm and clear about what wins, the bench stops chasing the game and starts executing the plan.
Maurice's structure is demanding but simple, stay on pucks, close fast, manage the middle, and play with pace, and that kind of clarity shows up in how Florida handles momentum swings. You can see it in their body language when they give up a goal, there's less panic, more reset, more trust that the next shift will look the same.
That confidence becomes contagious, because every player knows his job and feels empowered to make plays within the system. Over time, that's what creates consistency, not perfect nights, but a reliable level of competition that keeps them in games even when they're missing pieces or the schedule turns nasty.
Paul Maurice trusts the Florida Panthers identity
As a fan, that's the tone you want, a coach praising details, not begging for results.
The third period told the story, Florida didn't sit back, they squeezed the game.
«We were good,» Maurice said. «I think we had given up one shot in the first 11 minutes.»
«I don't know when the shot came, but at the nine-minute timeout we'd given up one, so we weren't sitting back, we weren't just flipping pucks out, we were trying to push the pace.»
«I don't know when the shot came, but at the nine-minute timeout we'd given up one, so we weren't sitting back, we weren't just flipping pucks out, we were trying to push the pace.»
That's where his confidence really shows, he's selling a repeatable formula.
«They're huge,» Maurice said of the two points. «But the real takeaway is, I loved the way we played, and I felt the same way in Ottawa and the last two periods in Montreal.»
«With some guys out, I get that, but the guys that were in there, they played hard, and we were on the puck, and we were frustrating to play against.»
«We just played fast, and that's a great place to be at this point of the year, to understand that that's the way we got to play.»
«With some guys out, I get that, but the guys that were in there, they played hard, and we were on the puck, and we were frustrating to play against.»
«We just played fast, and that's a great place to be at this point of the year, to understand that that's the way we got to play.»
The road trip isn't done yet, it resumes Friday in Carolina, then wraps in Washington, and those are the kind of nights where belief has to turn into structure. If Maurice keeps talking like this, the Panthers will keep playing like they mean it.
Read more on SunriseHockeyInsiderPaul Maurice has a very interesting take on why the Bennett line works
Also read on Sunrise Hockey Insider :
Florida Panthers Matthew Tkachuk's wish came true and it's a big win for fans
Florida Panthers Matthew Tkachuk's wish came true and it's a big win for fans
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 13 | 22 ANSWERS One special trait that defines Paul Maurice's leadership in Florida Do you buy Paul Maurice's confidence in how the Florida Panthers are playing right now? | ||
| Yes, totally | 19 | 86.4 % |
| Not yet | 3 | 13.6 % |
| List of polls | ||