FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Ordinarily at playoff time, this would be bulletin-board material: A coach in the NHL referred to the Florida Panthers as weird.
Except this time, nobody minded. Because the guy who said it was Panthers coach Paul Maurice.
Weird, goofy and unique are just some of the terms Maurice uses to describe his team, and he’s saying those words in the most endearing way possible. To him, they’re all badges of honor, part of the reasons why the Panthers finished with 110 points, won the Atlantic Division for the second time in three years and have a full head of steam going into a first-round playoff series with the rival Tampa Bay Lightning.
“There’s a lot of guys that have been here for a long time, we’ve been together and everyone’s great,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. “Everyone’s serious when we go on the ice and when we have to work. That’s the best part of it. And, off the ice, obviously we want to be as relaxed as possible, joke around, that kind of stuff. We love spending time together.”
Jonathan Tetelman recalls his journey from a nightclub DJ to an international opera star
Underwater Dragon Dance Staged in China's Qingdao
Zheng reaches Australian Open semifinals after fighting win
Service Stations Organize Activities for Herdsmen to Enrich Leisure Time in Xinjiang
Tory Susan Hall closes the gap on Sadiq Khan with a fortnight until London mayoral election
Women's Federations, College Students Care for Rural Children in Anhui
Thriving marathon industry in China brings health and new opportunities
Xizang's Traditional Culture Effectively Inherited and Protected: Expert
'The Full English will never die out!' Greasy spoon fans speak up for the Great British Fry
People Prepare for Upcoming Chinese New Year Across China
The prosecution team in Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' trial has a new attorney
Silk Flowers Help Local Women Gain Employment in Hebei