Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2026 4:06 PM
Fuming after back-to-back blowouts, Florida's bench boss takes the blame for his team's sudden identity crisis. Now, a looming practice session threatens to shake the resilient roster awake.
Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice had some strong words for his players on Thursday night.
His comments came shortly after Florida’s 4-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.
It was the Panthers second lopsided defeat in as many days, following a 5-1 drubbing the night before in Ottawa.
“I don’t know if it’s (that) we’re on the spectrum of arrogance and softness that I’ve allowed to creep into our game,” Maurice said after the game. “I’m going to find that out here in a couple days.”
Florida had been riding high before hitting the road, winners of three straight games by a combined score of 18-8.
Something changed between an 8-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, a game that saw the Panthers record a pair of hat tricks (by Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett), and Wednesday’s rough outing against the Senators.
Still, the Panthers are a team that has been incredibly resilient over the past several seasons, rarely getting into lasting funks while often playing themselves back into form by relying on the systems they run.
This week, however, it seems something sinister has crept into the team’s efforts.
With a great opportunity on Thursday night to bounce back after the spanking by the Senators, and having the extra motivation of playing in front of a young goaltender making his NHL debut, the Panthers once again floundered.
“It’s very difficult to win in hockey games in this league when your team scores zero in front of you and gets what it deserves,” Maurice said after praising Cooper Black’s efforts in his first taste of national league action.
So what went wrong that has the team suddenly so out of whack?
“I’ve got to sort that out,” Maurice said. “I’ve got to figure out where it’s coming from. I think it’s coming from me, so I’ve got a good 48 hours to grind on that and come up with an answer.”
The Panthers were back on the road Friday, making the short trip from Pittsburgh to Chicago where they’ll face the Blackhawks on Sunday afternoon.
Florida has a practice scheduled for Saturday at the Blackhawks’ training facility, and it should be an interesting one.
“I just need to get their attention,” Maurice said.
Watch his full postgame comments below:
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Photo caption: Oct 22, 2026;Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Cooper Black (31) and defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) defend a shot byPittsburghPenguinscenter Sidney Crosby (87) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
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