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.”
Biden administration restricts oil and gas leasing in Alaska
Village operators drive development in Zhejiang's Lin'an district
Pic story of luthier in Yingkou City, China's Liaoning
Chinese engineers install cutting
Prosecutor won't bring charges against Wisconsin lawmaker over fundraising scheme
People prepare for upcoming Spring Festival in Tianjin
China sees fluctuating decline in child respiratory cases at medical facilities
Cold wave continues to wreak havoc
Canucks' Rick Tocchet among new coaches making an impact in leading teams to NHL playoffs
Art reshapes rural scene in SW China village