Former Winnipeg Jets bench boss Paul Maurice battled the New York Rangers in his fifth career Conference Final in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and second with the Florida Panthers. Maurice and the Panthers successfully defeated the Presidents Trophy-winning New York Rangers 2-1 in game six of the Eastern Conference Final securing their spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, their second consecutive appearance for the trophy.
The Maurice-led Panthers finished first in the Atlantic Division, second in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the entire league. The team finished the 2023-24 regular season with a win-loss record of 52-24-6 and 110 points.
The Panthers improved by 10 wins this season from their 2022-23 win-loss record of 42-32-8 and 92 points. The Panthers also finished fourth in the Atlantic last season but rallied to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final where they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.
Paul Maurice is likely hoping for a different result this time around. It will be his third career appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals and second with the Florida Panthers. It goes without saying that the eight-year bench boss for the Winnipeg Jets has been incredibly successful with the Panthers up until now.
Maurice is in year two of a three-year coaching contract with the Florida Panthers and it’s had success tattooed all over it. While it doesn’t have a Stanley Cup, consecutive appearances for the trophy as a coach for one team is rare. Maurice will join fellow coach Jon Cooper as the other coach of a Florida team to appear in consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. While Cooper had two Stanley Cups and three consecutive appearances, maybe Maurice does the opposite of Cooper. Time will tell.
