Paul Maurice spoke to the media via Zoom from Las Vegas before the team traveled back to South Florida
The Florida Panthers will be glad to get back home after a less than prosperous trip to Las Vegas.
Hey, it happens to the best of us.
The Cats will look to claw their way back into the Stanley Cup Final after dropping the first two games in Las Vegas by a combined score of 12-4.
They flew back to South Florida on Tuesday, and the team knows they have to find a way to win Game 3 if they're going make this a series.
Prior to departing Vegas, the Panthers held a team meeting around 9:30 a.m. at their hotel on the strip, but not before Head Coach Paul Maurice had the chance to touch base with each of his players following a rough night at T-Mobile Arena.
"We make sure on mornings like this after we dropped a couple games to get around to all the players just to say good morning and check in on guys," said Maurice, adding the mood around the team was "strong."
CHECKING IN ON RADKO AND EETU
Maurice, speaking on Zoom as the Panthers weren't holding a practice before flying home, was asked about the health status of a pair of injured Panthers.
Radko Gudas left Game 2 during the first period after taking a hard hit from Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev.
Gudas appeared to be preparing to check Barbashev, but he saw the bearded Florida rearguard coming and delivered a counter-hit instead.
It looked like Barbashev's shoulder hit Gudas square in the face, knocking him back and onto the ice.
He got up, skated to the bench and walked down the tunnel to Florida's locker room.
The 33-year-old defenseman also briefly left Game 1 during the first period, but he returned for the second and finished the game.
Maurice said he wouldn't know anything about Gudas' injury until later in the day.
"All that testing will be done today and it'll be done when we get back (to Florida)," he said.
As for Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen, who has yet to play in either game of the Stanley Cup Final, he remains day-to-day.
Luostarinen left Game 4 of the conference final against Carolina during the second period after blocking a shot by Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce.
He's skated several times this week but has yet to make it back into a game.
"He's been on the ice with us, but he's not ready to play yet," Maurice said of Eetu.
CATS KEEPING FEROCIOUS MENTALITY
The Panthers have gotten some attention during the Final for their aggressive playing style and physical nature.
It's been a big part of Florida's success over the past couple months.
The bruising hits. The suffocating forecheck.
Its playoff hockey and it's proven to work, both for the Panthers this spring and generally for teams during the postseason.
For whatever reason, Florida's players have now been suddenly asked to answer for it, as if playing physical hockey while on a playoff run is something that requires an apology or explanation.
"I just think we're a big physical team, we are a majority physical team," said Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk. "That's how we have played in the second half of the year, and we've been successful. I just don't think there's teams that play as physical as we do, so maybe you guys think that it's a little bit too much, but at the end of the day, it's just how we play."
Florida has been behind the proverbial eight ball almost the entire first two games of the Stanley Cup Final.
When you're the team that isn't dictating the pace and trying to come from behind, you're not going to get the benefit of the doubt, apparently.
"I think if we were playing physical and up in the game, you guys would be like, 'That's the recipe for success,' so we're just sticking with our game," Tkachuk said. "We do have to tweak a few things, obviously it didn't work in the first two games, but they're one of the best home teams. They've pretty much run the table at home this year, especially in the playoffs. So we've got to go back (home) and we’ve got to start with one."