2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Florida Panthers: Good Guys who Don’t ‘Shotgun Beers at Church’

Florida Hockey Now ^ | 5-26-25 | n/a

[FLNittany]

FORT LAUDERDALE — Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice added another gem to his long collection of golden quotes on Sunday morning after being asked about his team’s humility off of the ice despite their ferociousness on it.

The Panthers are, to be sure, one of the most hated teams in the NHL due to their aggressive, take-no-prisoners style.

They certainly are not popular in some parts of their own state, much less in Canada or North Carolina.

Yet after Saturday’s 6-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes to pull within a game of a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, Brad Marchand was talking about eating ice cream during intermission.

“Is that a fact?” Maurice said when asked about Marchand’s penchant for frozen treats.

“I know he said it, that doesn’t make it a fact. You have video evidence? No? This is a conspiracy theory.’’

Matthew Tkachuk, one of the league’s top agitators, spoke Sunday about going after Sebastian Aho on Saturday two days after he took out Sam Reinhart with a low hipcheck which appears to have injured Reinhart’s knee.

“I don’t really look at it as intent or intimidation at all,’’ Tkachuk said. “It’s just sticking up for teammates. We’re a family in here. It could happen to anybody and there are 20 guys racing to stick up for a teammate. That’s just how our team is built.’’

Moments later, Maurice told a story about Tkachuk seeing a young fan who is battling cancer outside the locker room and stopping for a chat. Maurice even introduced them, joking that he quickly realized Tkachuk certainly needed no introduction. So, Paul, how could a team seemingly this unlikeable be so, well, likeable?

It is all in the context of where you run into them. On the ice? Not good guys.

Off of it, pretty chill bunch.

”I’ll ask you two questions, and they might be personal so you don’t have to answer them,’’ Maurice responded. “Have you ever shotgunned a beer? Have you ever been to church … or something spiritual? OK. Would you shotgun a beer at church? That doesn’t make you a hypocrite. There is a context and a place for all things.

“I will tell you they are honest, these men are honest. That personality is all real. I hated Matthew Tkachuk, that’s a little too strong, when I was in Winnipeg. Then you meet him, and you’re like ‘what a wonderful human being.’ “They are hard on the ice, they are. But that’s driven by how they feel about each other. They don’t want to let the other guy down. There’s a caring about them. These guys are different. Barkov’s personality is our room. Sam Bennett and his wife are raising money for cats and dogs. They are really nice people.

“And then the puck drops. Sometimes you say a prayer, sometimes you shotgun a beer. That’s like our team.’’

As for Maurice’s ice cream preference, he said his go-to is “something with cherry in it. Black cherry, raspberry. That would be good.’’

[Ultra Sonic 007]

The NHL was doing fine for 87 years. then suddenly they had to change all the rules.

What are you talking about? There were a lot of rule changes during those 87 years.

Thats why Lemiuex retired in 1997,...called it a “no skill, garbage” league.

Mario literally retired because he was battling lymphoma, as he un-retired in 2000. He then retired again in 2006 due to other health issues, and also because he could no longer keep up with the pace of the game.

Also, the origin of the quote is apparently from 1992, five years before he retired the first time.

Whoever heard of the most important player on the ice not being allowed to play the puck. Name what other game that does that.

Sounds like you'd be frustrated with the restrictions placed on what a goalie can do in soccer.

[basalt]

heh.heh..in total denial. They changed the rules because the league panicked because scoring plummeted because of the trapping defense that ALL teams were playing by the year 2000...and are STILL playing to this day. In 2015, not that long ago, the Art Ross trophy winner won the scoring race...AND HAD 87 POINTS!!..They went from players scoring 150-200 points a year to 87. Go google that Einstein. Im not even going comment on your Mario Lemiuex stupidity. To top it off, whoever heard of a FIRST YEAR EXPANSION TEAM making it to the SC Finals and actually coming 3 games from winning it, like the Las Vegas team did in 2018. I mean, the team didnt even exist before that year, geez. Thats what a trapping defense does...its the great equalizer. Brings down skilled. talented teams to the garbage level. Now when all the teams play that way, like now, you get borng, robotic, dump and chase no skill players. But hey, enjoy it, you people are a dying breed. The game tonight, 3-2. before empty nets goals..both teams had 22 shots on goal...lather, rinse, repeat. Its a flawed game since the year 1995 and they did it to themselves. Just rename the league and start over...because they ruined this one.

[basalt]

glad you brought up soccer..thats what the NHL is now..soccer on ice. 1-0-—2-1-—3-2...boringgggggggggggggg. You are in total denial.

[Alberta's Child]

Now you're just making crap up for the sake of complaining, dude. You have repeatedly posted historical statistics that are either anomalies or have nothing to do with what you're complaining about ... and then claim that these things are the causes of everything that is wrong with the NHL.

1. I will repeat what I said before: Teams have been playing "trap" defense for decades before the mid-1990s. The neutral-zone trap was invented in Europe as a way to defend on an enormous ice surface, for heaven's sake -- and that is a much more wide-open game even to this day.

2. Go back to 1995 and track another statistic that had a far bigger impact on declining offense than "trapping defense" -- GOALTENDING. Your average NHL goaltender consistently had a sub-.900 save percentage every year from 1972-73 through 1993-94. During the heyday of the high-scoring period of the early to mid-1980s, this average got down into the putrid .870-.880 range. The goaltending was simply awful by today's standards. THIS was a much bigger factor in declining NHL scoring than anything you've mentioned.

3. None of this should be news to anyone who knows hockey. I'd say at least 90% of the rules adopted by the NHL over the last 100 years have been aimed at increasing scoring. Go back to the period before WW2 if you REALLY want to see what low-scoring games were like.

4. You think a "trapping defense" is what brought the Las Vegas expansion team to the Stanley Cup finals in 2018? They were 5th in the NHL in scoring that year, dude. And they had such a successful first season for one simple reason: They had ridiculously favorable expansion draft rules that weren't originally supposed to work out the way they did. For one thing, the NHL was planning to bring TWO new teams into the league (Las Vegas and Quebec). So the expansion rules were set up to have more players available for selection than prior expansion years. But the NHL kept the expanded pool of players available for Vegas even after the Quebec expansion was postponed indefinitely. Secondly, the 2017 expansion draft was the first one since the NHL salary cap was adopted in 2005, which meant that for the first time in history, teams were actually willing to make deals with the expansion team to REMOVE older players with high salaries from their rosters. This is how Vegas went into their inaugural season with a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate as their starting goaltender (Marc-Andre Fleury). Pittsburgh was so desperate to offload expensive players from their roster that they gave Vegas a second-round draft pick in exchange for Vegas selecting Fleury in the expansion draft. Think about how ludicrous a deal like that is by pre-cap standards. With deals like this in addition to the regular expansion picks, Vegas was able to finish the expansion draft day with a bunch of players who would become their top stars for years -- including Shea Theodore, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith.

[Alberta's Child]

P.S. — There’s another issue lurking out there that is likely to have serious implications for the structure of the NHL and its competitive balance in the future. The way the league’s salary cap rules are set up, you are basically going to see six NHL teams with a structural advantage over all the others: Florida, Tampa Bay, Nashville, Dallas, Vegas and Seattle. These are the teams located in states with no income tax, which gives them a big advantage when signing top free agents. It’s no coincidence that at least one of these teams has made the Stanley Cup finals in each of the last six seasons and nine out of the last eleven.

[basalt]

ahahahahhaha...just watched the game. Yep, never seen such stellar goaltending. Dallas goalie, 3 goals on 3 shots...AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Edmonton.. 19 shots on goal, 5 goals. Oilers goalie, 17 shots on goal, 3 goals allowed...NEVER SEEN SUCH OUTSTANDING GOAL TENDING!!..ITS THE BEST EVER SEEN. Almost the exact same number of shots on goal as the game last night. Boring, robotic, scrambled mess. All the teams looks the same...play the same way. All the goalies look the same, play the same way. They ruined what was once a skilled, beautiful game to watch. Game is obsolete....

[basalt]

did you know that the Oklahoma City Cyclones are gonna make it to the Super Bowl next year?...and they will actually lead at half time? ..oh wait, the Cyclones dont even exist. But when they do exist ..they will make it to the Super Bowl that year and lead at half time...THEIR VERY FIRST YEAR!!...see how stupid you sound about Vegas making it to the SC Final in their first year. You dont even know what a trapping defense even is...i get the feeling this garbage is the only hockey youve ever watched. When you posted 2 tip in goals, that gave you away. Thousands of tip in goals and he posts 2 to prove “skilled” players...geez.

[basalt]

heres another hilarious tid bit...Connor McDavid, supposedly the greatest player ever according to you dolts, leads the playoffs in scoring. He has 24 points after 16 games played. For him to break Gretzkys playoff scoring record, he has to score 24 points ..IN THE NEXT 2 GAMES!!..AHAHHHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA. 99 had 47 points in only 18 games. Oh yeah, they won the SC Cup too that year. After seeing that kind of greatness, this garbage now is flat out obsolete. Just rename the league and be done with it.

[dfwgator]

The Stars sure went out with a whimper.

[Alberta's Child]

When you're down to the final four teams you've got four deep rosters with players who can score up and down the lineup. These are not typical of regular-season play by any stretch.

Let's look at the goaltending through yesterday among the starting goalies for the conference final teams: Bobrovsky (.912), Oettinger (.908), Andersen (.906) and Skinner (.910). Skinner is an odd case because he's supposed to be the #1 goalie for Edmonton, but he lost his starting job to Calvin Pickard who only had a .888 save percentage but went 6-0 in his starts before he was injured in the last round.

[Alberta's Child]

I'll say it again, dude: I played hockey for 15 years. How long did you play? And how many deflection goals did you score as a player (deliberate ones, not just a puck fired on net that accidentally went in off your stick or body)? How many did you even SEE as a player in the ice?

And I coached for five years after I retired, too. How many years as a hockey coach do you have on your resume?

[basalt]

ahahahahahaha...these guys are facing 15-20 shots on goal for the entire game..most of those are harmless. They stand there like statues and just block the opening of the goal...they dont play the position, heck, they arent even allowed to play the puck. The goalies in the 80’s and 90’s were spectacular, they had to be. They faced an onslaught of scoring chance after scoring chance. Teams now go 10-20 minutes without even a shot on goal, let alone score a goal. Capitals, in one game last round, actually went 10 minutes in a game, without even ATTEMPTING a shot on goal. Why you are defending this garbage is beyond me...its a stupid looking, boring, robotic game now. Its like 10 hungry pitbulls all attacking a piece of meat. Just awful stuff.

[Alberta's Child]

First of all, I never said McDavid was the greatest player ever. I don't know where you got that from.

Secondly, take a look at the NHL career leaders in playoff points per game. Gretzky is #1 at 1.837. And yet SEVEN of the top 20 and FOUR of the top 10 are active players.

McDavid is #3.

Mikko Rantanen -- who is playing on his third team THIS SEASON -- is #9 of all time ...

Ahead of Jean Beliveau.
Ahead of Bobby Hull.
Ahead of Joe Sakic.
Ahead of Peter Forsberg.
Ahead of Jari Kurri.
Ahead of Mike Bossy.

You have no idea what the hell you're talking about.

[basalt]

wow...really...well, i played on a line with Wayne Gretzky in Edmonton in the 1980’s...yes, i am Jari Kurri.....

[basalt]

ahahahaa..you are one thise “ppg” guys...nice try, but do that math AFTER THEYVE PLAYED 200 PLAYOFF GAMES...THEN WELL SEE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE...i dont know who you think you are fooling, bro. Let me give you a tip slick, you are NOT gonna win a numbers game against 99 and the Oilers from the 1980’s. LMAO at Mikko Rantanen..he hasnt even played 100 playoff games..EVER. When he plays over 200 playoff games...THEN COME SEE ME ABOUT PPG...you are hopeless..

[Alberta's Child]

Wayne Gretzky scores five goals in a game to reach 50 in 39 games in 1981:

Oilers vs. Flyers, 12/30/81

I don't who is playing in goal for the Flyers, but just look at that dude. The goaltending is awful, and goalies on high school girls teams cover more net in goal these days. I could have scored a goal in that game against him.

Oh, yeah -- the goalies back then were spectacular. LOL.

[Alberta's Child]

ahahahaa..you are one thise “ppg” guys

Actually, I'm not. YOU are the one who mentioned that Gretzky had 47 points in only 18 games.

[Alberta's Child]

well, i played on a line with Wayne Gretzky in Edmonton in the 1980’s...yes, i am Jari Kurri....

Can I get your autograph? I always loved that guy. I think he's one of the most underrated NHL players of all time. LOL.

[basalt]

btw mr ppg...McDavid is even worse..hes only played 90 playoff games. And you forgot one stat

Jean Beliveau-10 Stanley Cups
Joe Sakic-2 Stanley Cups
Connor McDavid-0 Stanley Cups

you are clinging to a dying sport pal...but hey, enjoy yourself.

[Alberta's Child]

Dude -- Beliveau was one of the all-time greats, but he won most of his Stanley Cups when there were only six teams in the NHL, and Montreal was far and away the most dominant team.

I thought Gretzky was THE greatest NHL player of all time. But he only has four Stanley Cup rings -- behind dozens of other players on the all-time list.