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Paul Maurice gets honest on what Panthers need to turn season around

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice spoke about what his team needs to do in order to salvage a disappointing season.

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Paul Maurice gets honest on what Panthers need to turn season around

Tristin McKinstry, ClutchPoints

Mon, March 2, 2026 at 5:03 AM UTC·
2 min read

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The Florida Panthers are looking to do anything they can to turn their season around. They came back from the NHL’s Olympic break sitting eight points out of qualification for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, they have not done well out of the gate. They have lost two of their three games since returning, including a loss on Sunday to the New York Islanders.

Rookie Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer scored twice in a 5-4 win over the Panthers. Sam Bennett scored twice for Florida, but it wasn’t enough. Sergei Bobrovsky had an unsightly .808 save percentage on the night, and Florida’s playoff hopes are fading quickly.

Head coach Paul Maurice certainly didn’t envision this before the season began. However, this is the situation the team finds itself in at this juncture. Maruice is hoping the experience the team has together can help pull them through the dark.

“Any one good feeling,” the Panthers coach said, via team beat reporter Jameson Olive, when asked what the team currently needs. “Any one good play that gives them the feeling that there’s hope. That’s really what we’re trying to drive now. They’ve got miles on them, but they’ve played a lot of big games together. That’s the key.”

Florida dropped to 30-27-3 with this loss to the Islanders. They don’t have much time left before the NHL Trade Deadline to improve their standing, either. They remain eight points back of the Boston Bruins for the final Wild Card spot in the East.

It is officially crunch time for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. They need as many points as possible out of their remaining games to have a shot. The Panthers are back in action on March 3rd against the New Jersey Devils.

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