NHL News: Panthers HC Paul Maurice makes major admission following victory over Sabres

The Florida Panthers solidified their status as contenders in the NHL after dominating the Buffalo Sabres. However, HC Paul Maurice made it clear that this season, the level of teams is very even, to the point where the last-place team in the Atlantic Division gave them a tough battle, highlighting that the final stretch of the season will not be easy.

The Panthers ended up defeating their rivals 4-0; however, the flow of the game did not reflect the final scoreline. For this reason, Maurice told the media after the game that no opponent should be underestimated beforehand, as anything can happen.

“You look at the standings, and you might say ‘Hey, this should be easy.’ There was nothing easy about that game for our team,” Florida coach said via NHL.com. “They were really good in the first period, and after the first shift of the third, I liked our third the best. That’s when we got really disciplined.’’

With this win, the Florida Panthers reached 83 points, solidifying their position as undisputed leaders in the Atlantic Division, opening up a considerable gap over the last playoff spots. However, the entire team knows they can’t leave anything to chance and must approach every game with full seriousness.

Aaron Ekblad #5 of the Florida Panthers skates against the Buffalo Sabres at Amerant Bank Arena on February 27, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida.

Vanecek’s joy after his debut

Vitek Vanecek arrived at the Panthers a few days ago, coming from the San Jose Sharks. In his debut in Florida’s net, he finished the game with a shutout, securing an important win—something he hadn’t achieved since late November.

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“The shutout is nice, but I am really happy for the win,’’ Vanecek said. “Really good defense, they blocked a lot of shots for me, if there was a rebound they always cleaned it up. Really good.”

The Czech goaltender became the third goalie in franchise history, joining Chris Driedger in 2019 and Jose Theodore in 2011, to record a shutout in his first game with the Panthers.

What’s next for the Panthers?

With the main goal of finishing as high as possible in their division, the Panthers will face the following stretch of games, aiming to secure as many wins as possible.

• vs Boston Bruins, March 11th
• vs Toronto Maple Leafs, March 13th
• vs Montreal Canadiens, March 15th
• vs New York Islanders, March 16th
• vs Columbus Blue Jackets, March 20th