TORONTO — Whenever the Florida Panthers open up a playoff series, they prepare for it to go seven games.
That has been the mentality the team has had ever since Paul Maurice took the mantle as head coach — regardless of the situation.
Maurice’s teams have a 5-0 record in Game 7s for a reason. He builds them all year ot be physical, grind their opponent down throughout a series and get to a game that can withstand the pressure that comes with it.
“That’s what our team is built to do,” captain Aleksander Barkov said. “Whenever Game 7 comes, we’re at our best.”
He and the Panthers look to draw on that as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday night with a trip to the Eastern Conference final on the line.
“When you get to the playoffs, you never want to have to walk into your room and say something for the first time and it’s the first time they hear that unless it’s somewhat inspirational,” coach Paul Maurice said. “You don’t want to be technical, and say that ‘we’re changing this,’ and better yet, you want it to be something you’ve planned for and talked about.
“So, the Game 7 idea is something we talk about before every series, and we talk about it during the regular season, as a matter of fact. The style of play that leads to a Game 7 is what we want to get to.”
