Panthers Have ‘a Quiet Confidence’ In Playoffs, ‘so Just Believe’

RALEIGH, N.C. — While the Panthers recovered from their Game 1 win against the Hurricanes and prepared for Thursday’s Game 2, Dallas and Edmonton kicked off the Western Conference final. It proved to be one of the wildest games in this year’s postseason.

The visiting Oilers, who were the Panthers’ opponent in last year’s Stanley Cup Final, took a 3-1 lead over the hosting Stars. But Dallas battled back, scoring five goals in the third period to win Game 1, 6-3. It was the latest in a long list of dramatic playoff swings, which the Panthers have experienced numerous times in their three playoff runs under Paul Maurice.

“The emotions for both teams can swing in the playoffs far more radically than they do in the regular season,” Maurice said. “So at 3-1 in the regular season, yeah, you score the next goal. But the 3-1 in the playoffs, when that next goal goes in — especially if you’re in the home building — you’ve got a lot of time on the clock in the third period. It’s only one shot. It’s almost that overtime feel. Handling those emotions and settling back in the game are really important.”

The Panthers are in a different situation. They beat the Hurricanes 5-2 on the road, giving them an early advantage in the Eastern Conference final. Teams that have won Game 1 of the conference or Stanley Cup finals over the last three years won eight of those nine series.

That might be an interesting stat, but it means nothing to the Panthers, who won Game 1 of the first round against the Lightning but lost two in a row to start their second-round series against the Maple Leafs.

“I didn’t feel after Game 1 win against Tampa or the Game 1 game the other night that there was any kind of euphoria,” Maurice said. “They’re happy, but it’s over. And then when we lost Game 1 in Toronto, …  it was almost like the series starts now.”

Defenseman Seth Jones, who joined the team in March, said he was surprised by the team’s drive to win another Stanley Cup when he first arrived. When Florida fell behind 2-0 to Toronto, he noticed that there was no defeatism in the locker room.

“There’s definitely a quiet confidence in this room,” Jones said. “I think in the Toronto series, it (was) different because they’re supposed to win their two home games, right? So we knew we had the opportunity to win our two home games. And the series doesn’t really start till someone wins on the road, right? So we understood that if we took care of business at home, that was going to be back to a 2-2 series.

“But going down 0-2, we had a lot of confidence in this room that — like I keep saying — if we play the way we know how to play, we’re going to give ourselves a good chance.”

Center Anton Lundell, who has been a part of the Panthers’ Stanley Cup Final runs the last two years, has seen his team take early series leads and nearly lose and come back from early series deficits. He has learned that the playoffs are “all about momentum.”

“Sometimes you’re behind and sometimes you feel good and you have the lead,” Lundell said. “But you just got to battle all the way, as we saw yesterday. It’s never over, and a lot can happen even if you’re a few goals behind. So just believe.”