BREAKING: Panthers Coach’s Brutally Honest Take on Atlantic Division Race
As the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Tampa Bay Lightning compete for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice shared his candid thoughts on the race for first place. Florida currently sits third in the division with 91 points, tied with Tampa Bay, though the Lightning hold the advantage due to tiebreakers. Toronto leads with 94 points but has played one more game as of Monday.
Maurice, in a blunt assessment, downplayed the importance of securing the No. 1 seed, arguing that the path to the Stanley Cup Final remains challenging regardless of seeding. “You’re going to have to beat a team from Ontario (Toronto or Ottawa), and you’re going to have to beat a team from Florida (Tampa Bay) to get where you want to go,” he said. “I see no value in [finishing first].”
He pointed to the strength of potential wild-card opponents and the unpredictability of playoff matchups as key reasons. “If you win your games and take the top spot, your reward is likely facing Washington in the Eastern Conference Finals—or maybe Carolina,” Maurice noted. “And believe me, you won’t feel comfortable against either of them.”
From @DominosCanada That's Hockey – Why @martybiron43 believes the Maple Leafs roster is better than the Panthers and Lightning in the Atlantic: https://t.co/6Xg9XEYnmt#DominosThatsHockey pic.twitter.com/aWbK7hZfjm
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) March 31, 2025
Florida has crucial matchups ahead, facing Toronto twice in the next week with a game against Tampa Bay in between. These games could determine the final divisional standings, though Maurice insisted they wouldn’t change his approach. He also pushed back against the idea that the race is solely between three teams. “We played Ottawa early in the season, and they beat us with a different style than before,” he said. “They’re in the mix, too.”
The Senators currently lead the wild-card race with 84 points (39-28-6 record through 73 games), holding a seven-point edge over the Montreal Canadiens (34-30-9, 77 points), who occupy the second wild-card spot.