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Panthers Have Been Good Under Paul Maurice When Facing Elimination, Historically In Game 7s
They are the two best words in sports.
Game 7.
That’s what we’ll get on Sunday when the Florida Panthers face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
It will mark only the fifth time in Panthers franchise history that they will play in a Game 7.
I’m sure we all remember the most recent one, against the Edmonton Oilers last June.
That was a fairly big game, being the Stanley Cup Final and all.
Overall, the Panthers have gone 3-1 when facing a winner-take-all Game 7, including a 2-0 mark when on the road.
Other than the Oilers, Florida’s Game 7 victories have come against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1996 Eastern Conference Final and the Boston Bruins during the first round in 2023.
Those were both on the road.
The loss was in 2012 against the New Jersey Devils, a game that ended in double overtime after the Cats erased a two-goal third period deficit, in a series that was Florida’s first playoff appearance in 12 years.
In addition to the two Game 7s Florida has played under Head Coach Paul Maurice, the Panthers hold an 8-7 record in games where they can eliminate an opponent since Maurice took over three seasons ago.
Conversely, Florida has gone 4-1 under Maurice when facing elimination.
Three of those wins came against the Boston during that first round series in 2023 when the Panthers came back from a 3-1 series deficit, and the other was in Game 7 against Edmonton last June.
We’ll see how this one plays out in what should be an electric environment in Toronto.
The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.
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Photo caption: Apr 30, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) reacts on the winning goal during overtime in game seven of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
