SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers hit the ice for skate around with Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final and their 2-1 lead over Edmonton Oilers clearly on their minds.
WATCH BELOW: 'You don't see the amount of stuff that goes on,' Coach Paul Maurice says
Monday's 6-1 win over the Oilers was nothing short of a blowout, a sharp contrast to the first two games of the series, both of which needed overtime to determine a winner.
Beyond the scoring, the Panthers kept the Oilers in penalty trouble, with tensions boiling over in the third period.
Head coach Paul Maurice said he's instructed his players to not react.
"You don't see the amount of stuff that goes on. It isn't just this series; it's every series there's a lot of stuff going on," Maurice said. "You just can't react to it, because it's part of the price. We play a fairly physical game, so it's just a lot of contact and you can't react to."
Maurice said he's constantly learning and adjusting his strategy. Looking back, he feels he may have over-coached during the Tampa series instead of letting his players play.
"You can't chase the match, because you're not going to get it and then the rhythm on your bench is broke. You just have to trust your players," he said."
Forward Jonah Gadjovich said there's nothing like playing on home ice, feeding off the energy and home fans.
"I love playing at home. It's fun to feed off of the crowd, because they're so loud and so supportive," Gadjovich said. "It's one of those things, skating to the box, looking up and just appreciating where I'm at and just soaking it all in."
