Paul Maurice opens up on the Florida Panthers first half of the season

Florida is 22-17-3 for 47 points, stuck in that thick Atlantic traffic where two good nights can change everything. It is not pretty lately, but the standings say the Panthers are still very much in it.

Paul Maurice has made it clear he's genuinely proud of the way his team has responded since the start of the season. After 42 games, he's not just satisfied with the points, he's happy with the habits, the resilience, and the way the Panthers have handled constant disruption.

Even with injuries and adversity forcing nightly adjustments, Maurice believes Florida has shown real character, the kind that shows up when games get messy and the margin for error disappears. For him, the first half hasn't been perfect, but it's been honest, and that's why he's pleased with where they sit right now.

The injury file is still loud, with Aleksander Barkov's knee surgery already forcing everyone to reshape the room's identity. Seth Jones is also out a couple of weeks, and Matthew Tkachuk is inching closer after skating without a non-contact jersey Tuesday.

Right after that Winter Classic gut punch, you could feel fans wanting a little certainty, just one clean week without another name added to the board.

On the ice, the fix is usually simple hockey that travels, shorter shifts, safer puck touches, and fewer cute passes through the middle. Without full firepower, Florida has to win more battles on the walls and protect the slot like it is a playoff game.

They have shown that spine already, including that wild comeback against Carolina on December 19 when they erased a three-goal deficit late. Maurice even said he was «pretty grumpy» with 10 minutes left, then watched his group claw back anyway.

Goaltending has kept them afloat more often than not, even if it has been a bumpy ride by Panthers standards. Sergei Bobrovsky is sitting on a .885 save percentage, and Daniil Tarasov has hovered around the .900 range.

Now comes the part Maurice was really pointing at, the grind and the travel with Thursday in Montreal and the rest of that long swing. A winning trip is the difference between steady breathing and scoreboard watching every night.

This team has lived in chaos for months, and the next checkpoint is simple, survive this trip, get healthier, then let the talent take over again.

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