Florida Panthers head coach, Paul Maurice, didn’t hold back when asked about the officiating last night.
Maurice Heated After Panthers Lose in Lop-sided Officiated Game
After Maurice’s Panthers gave up a two-goal lead in the third and lost in overtime, the veteran bench boss didn’t mince words over the “favoritism” he felt the refs showed the Toronto Maple Leafs.
-
Ep 69: NHL Preseason, Rumors, Mike Babcock Saga
by Full Press Coverage on September 24, 2023 at 4:07 am
Jim and Chris are back to discuss the beginning of the NHL preseason, the […]
“I don’t know what the hell those guys were doing tonight but it wasn’t Florida Panther-friendly.”
The parade to the penalty box was a continuous one for the Panthers all night. The Cats were slapped with four penalties in the first period alone and a total of seven for the entire game.
But it wasn’t just the amount of penalties being called against the Panthers that irked the head coach, it was the quality, or lack thereof, of the types of calls.
“Radko Gudas hits as clean a hit as you can… Stick on stick, body on body. A charge? They’re both going the in the same direction. No problem with the guy going to the net at all. That’s hockey.”
Then there was a questionable hooking call on Ryan Lomberg after he chased down Calle Jarnkrok and stripped him of the puck.
Later that same period, Sam Bennett was called for a phantom interference play in front of the Leafs’ net. An irate Maurice gave the refs an earful before they went and took a further look at the call and reversed it, giving the interference to Timothy Liljegren.
Maurice’s History May Have Played A Part
Soft calls happen in a game but when a multitude happens against one team in one game, that’s when you have to start questioning things.
Maurice gave the media his explanation of the calls, stating “It had nothing to do with my players. It had to do with me and a relationship I have with one of the referees.”
This was of course in reference to a game back in 2016 when Paul Maurice was ejected by last night’s referee, Francois St. Laurent. Maurice, who was coaching the Winnipeg Jets at the time, blasted St. Laurent after a call from the head ref. Winnipeg’s Bryan Little was injured on a hit from Anton Stralman and Blake Wheeler retaliated. Wheeler was the only player sent to the penalty box. Stralman would walk away Scott-free. Maurice let out his frustrations and St. Laurent ejected him from the game.
Seems like there is still some bad blood between the two.
But at the end of the day, there’s no point in dwelling on it. You have to move on.
Even though Maurice was animated on the bench, he did a great job of keeping his players cool and collected. For the most part, the players kept their frustrations inside. And aside from a penalty shot awarded to William Nylander, the Panthers played disciplined hockey in the third period and stayed out of the box.
But it wouldn’t be quite enough. As the game went on you could see the players running out of steam. The jump they had in the first 40 minutes had waned into the third.
And as Maurice noted after the game, “They [NHL] flew us out to the west coast, flew us back home, flew us up here in back-to-back and then threw those two guys [refs] at us. I think we hung in there pretty good. I’m proud of this group.”
One could say that blowing a third-period lead and losing the two points is a loss. And, well, it is. That’s the textbook definition of a loss. But coming away with a point, on the road, on the tail end of a back-to-back, against a team like the Leafs, and with how the officiating played out, that’s a victory in my book.
Around Full Press Hockey
NHL: Paul Maurice: “It’s A Special Place And You Could Feel It”
NHL Rumors: NHL Rumors: Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche
NHL: NHL Power Rankings: Devils Holding Onto The Top Spot
NFL: Remembering John Hadl: “A Great Player, A Great Athlete
Full Press Bets: Early 2022 NFL MVP Odds: Bills’ Josh Allen Favored
PODCAST: Full Press Hockey Weekly Ep 38: NHL Season Preview: Golden Knights, Maple Leafs, Johnny Gaudreau
Look For The Positives
Despite the loss to the Leafs, there are still positives to take away going into this matchup.
“This is by far our most difficult stretch.” Maurice stated about the Panthers’ current road trip, “But the room feels good. Our work level and compete-level is much higher than in December.”
Matthew Tkachuk echoed that sentiment, “The belief is in this room. It doesn’t matter who we are playing.”
And that belief will go a long way in carrying this club as their playoff push continues.
Helping along with that push will be recent AHL call-up, Grigori Denisenko. The 2018, 15th overall pick of the NHL draft has impressed in his latest stint with the big club.
Denisenko was a highly touted prospect but injuries have stalled his development since his draft day.
But the skilled Russian is getting a good look on this road trip while filling in for Colin White, who remains a healthy scratch.
Maurice was particularly pleased with his poise with the puck and his ability to make smart plays, “He’ll hang onto a puck… he’s got the understanding of how hard you have to work to be a good player and he’s starting to do it, so we’re pretty excited.”
There has been a lot of success from the group after Maurice shook up his lines prior to their game against the Colorado Avalanche the other week.
We can expect Maurice to continue running with this current lineup and look to pick up two crucial points on the road.
Up Next
The Panthers won’t have much time to lick their wounds. The Cats make their way up the St. Lawrence River for a date with the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
This is the second of four meetings between the two clubs. The Panthers took their first bout in a 7-2 drubbing right after the Christmas Break. The Cats will look to continue that dominance tomorrow night.
Puck drop is at 7:00 pm ET.
-
Ep 69: NHL Preseason, Rumors, Mike Babcock Saga
by Full Press Coverage on September 24, 2023 at 4:07 am
Jim and Chris are back to discuss the beginning of the NHL preseason, the […]
-
Ep 68: Auston Matthews Extension, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Much More
by Full Press Coverage on September 1, 2023 at 2:23 am
Jim and Chris are back to chat about the Auston Matthews extension, the […]
-
Ep 67: Karlsson Trade, Matt Dumba Signs, NHL News and Notes
by Full Press Coverage on August 11, 2023 at 2:21 am
Jim and Chris discuss the big Erik Karlsson trade to Pittsburgh, the Matt […]
-
Around the NHL: What is Going in Tampa and Toronto As Training Camps Begin
by Full Press Coverage on September 24, 2023 at 12:00 pm
Jim Biringer is back once again joined by Vox Media NHL Analyst Bruce […]
-
Around the NHL: Mike Babcock Resigns as Head Coach In Columbus
by Full Press Coverage on September 19, 2023 at 1:48 pm
Jim Biringer is back once again joined by Vox Media NHL Analyst Bruce […]
-
Around the NHL: From Columbus to Montreal To Calgary To Atlanta
by Full Press Coverage on September 16, 2023 at 12:00 pm
Jim Biringer is back once again joined by Vox Media NHL Analyst Bruce […]
-
Ep 86: David Krejci Announces Retirement
by Full Press Coverage on August 14, 2023 at 10:28 pm
Ian and Chris react to David Krejci's retirement. Learn more about your ad […]
-
Ep 85: Offseason Reset: Lucic, Bergeron, Krejci, and More
by Full Press Coverage on July 23, 2023 at 2:10 pm
Ian and Chris discuss the changes the Bruins have seen over the last few […]
-
S5Ep3 - Mike Babcock Out in Columbus and Steven Stamkos Drops The Hammer in Tampa
by Jim Biringer on September 22, 2023 at 2:00 pm
Jim Biringer is back for the fifth season of the Final Word on Hockey […]
-
S5Ep2 - What Carey Price Meant to the Montreal Canadiens
by Jim Biringer on September 19, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Jim Biringer is back for the fifth season of the Final Word on Hockey […]
-
Nashville Predators Preview
by Broken Controller Media on September 25, 2023 at 3:30 pm
Hunter Logan Previews the Nashville Predators Stack the Pucks gives a […]
-
Minnesota Wild Preview
by Broken Controller Media on September 22, 2023 at 4:10 pm
Hunter Logan Previews The Minnesota Wild Stack the Pucks gives a […]
-
Dallas Stars Preview
by Broken Controller Media on September 21, 2023 at 3:45 pm
Hunter Logan Previews The Dallas Stars Stack the Pucks gives a breakdown […]
-
Episode #144: 22-23 AHL Awards Show
by Full Press Coverage on July 14, 2023 at 10:00 pm
The 2022-23 AHL season has come to a close, and what better way to […]
-
Episode #143: Dessert > Desert
by Full Press Coverage on June 24, 2023 at 5:54 pm
On this episode of The Calder Farmstead, Sean and Sarah wrap up the […]
-
Full Press Canadiens - 9-22 - Bogan Konyushkov is dominating the KHL
by Full Press Coverage on September 25, 2023 at 4:30 pm
Josh Gosse and Jesse Poirier speak about the latest Montreal Canadiens […]
-
Full Press Wild - 9-25 - Recapping the Wild’s preseason opener.
by Full Press Coverage on September 25, 2023 at 3:00 pm
Preseason, Daemon Hunt, injury Learn more about your ad choices. Visit […]
-
ROP Special Commentary: Representation Matters
by Charlie Saunier on September 24, 2023 at 5:01 am
ROP Special Commentary: Representation Matters Learn more about your ad […]
-
Full Press Canadiens 9-22 - Intra-squad scrimmages
by Full Press Coverage on September 22, 2023 at 3:00 pm
Josh Gosse and Jesse Poirier speak about the latest Montreal Canadiens […]
-
Full Press Wild - 9-22 - Recapping prospect camp and a player signing.
by Full Press Coverage on September 22, 2023 at 3:00 pm
Prospect camp, signing, Jujhar Khaira Learn more about your ad choices. […]
-
Leafs Digest - 9-22 - Nylander MOVED to Center, Murray and Muzzin OUT for Season | Toronto Maple Leafs News and Updates
by BCM on September 22, 2023 at 3:00 pm
Zack Phillips reacts to Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach, Sheldon Keefe, […]
-
9/25 - Week 3 Reactions, Dolphins Hang 70, Biggest Disappointments
by Full Press Coverage on September 25, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Ian and John react to a fascinating Week 3 in the NFL and talk about some […]
-
9/22 - 49ers Move To 3-0, Week 2 Picks and Predictions
by Full Press Coverage on September 22, 2023 at 1:58 pm
Ian and John discuss the 49ers win over the Giants on Thursday Night […]
-
9/21 - Thursday Night Football Preview; NFL MVP Talk
by Full Press Coverage on September 21, 2023 at 2:15 pm
Ian and John preview Thursday Night Football between the Giants and 49ers […]
-
9/19 - Monday Night Recap, State of Quarterback Play, 2-0 Teams
by Full Press Coverage on September 19, 2023 at 2:08 pm
Ian and John discuss MNF and talk about the state of quarterback play. […]
-
9/25 - Week 3 Reactions, Dolphins Hang 70, Biggest Disappointments
by Full Press Coverage on September 25, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Ian and John react to a fascinating Week 3 in the NFL and talk about some […]
-
Ep 184: Week 3 Instant Reaction
by Full Press Coverage on September 25, 2023 at 12:47 am
The Green Bay Packers were in another 1-point game, this time a 18-17 win […]
-
Ep 135: 49ers Move To 3-0, NFC South Buy or Sell, Week 3 Picks/Predictions
by Full Press Coverage on September 24, 2023 at 3:13 pm
Ian and Braden discuss the 49ers win on Thursday Night Football, the […]
-
Ep 171: Discussing The Career Of George Kunz With Son Matt
by Full Press Coverage on September 23, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Clark and Ira are joined by Matt Kunz, son of former Colts lineman George […]
-
Ep 183: The Sandman
by Full Press Coverage on September 23, 2023 at 2:00 pm
This week we're diving back into the extreme and looking at the career of […]
-
9/22 - 49ers Move To 3-0, Week 2 Picks and Predictions
by Full Press Coverage on September 22, 2023 at 1:58 pm
Ian and John discuss the 49ers win over the Giants on Thursday Night […]
-
9/21 - Thursday Night Football Preview; NFL MVP Talk
by Full Press Coverage on September 21, 2023 at 2:15 pm
Ian and John preview Thursday Night Football between the Giants and 49ers […]
-
Ep 183: Week 3 Preview vs Saints
by Full Press Coverage on September 21, 2023 at 2:11 am
In this episode, Kyle Senra is joined by Courtney Burrows (luvtractor3) […]