Paul Maurice has continued to bring the most out of his Florida Panthers squad, leading them to consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances. After defying all odds last season, they showed that their Cinderella run wasn’t a fluke, and that they truly belong amongst the best in the league.
That didn’t come without some necessary change, which Maurice highlighted in his insightful press conference following their series victory against the New York Rangers.
Immediately, some of Maurice’s remarks gave me déjà vu. I sat there thinking about it for a while. Then the lightbulb went off. So much of what Maurice credited the Panthers – both organization and players – with doing, was exactly what New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald exclaimed he needed more of in his exit interview.
Season Starts Now…
While physicality and “toughness” is waning in favor of skill and finesse, I found it very interesting that Maurice kicked off the presser by alluding to strength work in the gym being a primary reason for their success: “The character of the players that left…they all came back stronger. Didn’t have much of a turnaround time. In order to do that, you can’t take much time off. You’ve gotta get heavy and compete in the gym. (General manager Bill Zito) and the staff did an incredible job to fill the holes, short and long term. And then the players did the work on their own.”
Debate all you want; hockey is a physical sport by nature. Nothing will change that. That doesn’t mean that every talented player should be shipped off for some 6-foot-6 goon, but it does mean that being strong and “tough to play against” is important.
This regular season saw the Panthers dishing out 2,120 hits (25.8 per game), leading the NHL. The season prior, they had 1,596 (19.5 per game) – 25th in the league. That’s a 32.8% increase! (via Money Puck)
The Devils, on the other hand, have been 29th and 26th in the league in hits during the past couple seasons, respectively. Going into this summer, Fitzgerald seemed to highlight the same premise that Maurice did one year ago: “There’s another level we have to get to. I’m not just talking about on the ice. I’m talking about off the ice as well. Doing things in the weight room is as important as the things you do off the ice.”
Before his departure, former Devils’ interim coach Travis Green added some more thoughts on what he hoped to see from the team: “It doesn’t just start at training camp for me. Effort starts in two weeks when you take a little break, and you get back to work and you’re ultra-competitive and ultra-committed to being the best version that you can be to come back and help the team win.”
I’d imagine that’s fairly similar to what Maurice wanted out of his Panthers just one year ago. It’s not just about the hits statistic, though. Being stronger as a team and getting that buy-in throughout the lineup will allow them to succeed in all facets of the game. Fitzgerald added, “It’s time that this young team matures into understanding exactly what it takes to win the Cup.”
Just like the Panthers did, it’s time for the Devils to get stronger and more committed. And that starts now.
A Necessary Speed Bump
While a season-to-season 31-point drop-off was not what the Devils expected, it’s likely something they needed to overcome if they want to become contenders. And that goes for the organization as well as the players. Maurice said, “Experience helps you with a plan. On a personality basis, they’re a more serious group. They’re more even-keeled than last year’s team.”
Related: New Jersey Devils Offseason Checklist
That’s not to say they’re not allowed to be human beings and have fun. But there needs to be a line drawn somewhere that establishes and encourages a winning mindset. With this talented of a roster, complacency is frankly unacceptable. And Fitzgerald subtly mentioned some issues there that need to be fixed: “When you kind of loosen some things, some (players) take advantage of it.”
Captain Nico Hischier referred to himself feeling “empty” when the season concluded. To prevent the catastrophic season from reoccurring, the organization has just as much, if not more, of a responsibility than the players. The roster needs to be better. Maurice highlighted the Panthers’ offseason acquisition of three NHL-caliber defensemen as a jumpstart to their success: Nikko Mikkola, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Dmitry Kulikov.
Fitzgerald said, “I want hockey players. That can be defined in many ways, but first and foremost they have to be passionate. They need to love the game and come into work every single day, punch the clock and actually enjoy it. And then do extra work too, because they love the game. (Compared to) guys who just play hockey. There’s a huge difference in that…Our fans deserve those types of players. Those are players that are willing to block shots, are willing to be comfortable in confrontation and understand that physicality is part of the game. (We need to) create an identity, get back to having a momentum line that could change a game.”
The Panthers certainly formed two: The first was the trio of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe. The second was Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov and Evan Rodrigues. Both of those lines had over 380 minutes of ice time this season (via Money Puck). And they could do it all: score, play defense and mix it up physically.
The Devils’ most-used line combination of Ondrej Palat, Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt only played approximately 266 minutes this season. No other forward line played over 175. Obviously injuries didn’t help, but the lines got shaken up way too frequently regardless.
Maurice said it perfectly after clinching the Eastern Conference: “It’s not always just the guys in the sweaters, right? It’s the 27…it’s the bigger group. That’s what makes them fun to be around.”
The talent for the Devils is there. But they have the ability to improve their roster even more. If the Panthers did it after winning the Eastern Conference, the Devils can (and should) too.
New Season Awaits
The Devils should be grateful that the 2024-25 season will come with a clean slate and an opportunity to right their disastrous recent campaign. But the players and the organization have a lot of work to do leading up to then.
Thankfully, these quotes prove that the vision is there. But as Fitzgerald himself said, “You say the right things…but are you willing to do the right things?” It’s now time for action.
