Paul Maurice stays composed as Florida Panthers regroup after Game 4 collapse against Edmonton Oilers

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice isn't pressing the panic button after a difficult Game 4 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. The Edmonton Oilers stormed back on four unanswered goals, including a second period that stole momentum from Florida Panthers and electrified the home audience.

Florida Panthers remain focused as Paul Maurice shrugs off Game 4 disappointment

The Florida Panthers dominated the game 3-0, with about half of Game 4 behind them, and appeared to be in position to have a 3-1 stranglehold on the Stanley Cup Final. Coach Paul Maurice, however, didn’t flinch in the postgame media session. Instead, he struck a calm, reflective tone. “We’ve had two overtime losses now that are painful, and we’ve enjoyed the two wins, so we’re flat now,” Paul Maurice said. “It’s great for the fans, it truly is.”

Paul Maurice, who guided the Florida Panthers to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2024, has experienced his fair share of playoff unpredictability. That lesson seems to be serving him well again. Even after a rare breakdown in Florida's normally potent second-period play, Paul Maurice never wavered. This series has been characterized by razor-thin margins. Both of Florida's victories were close overtime affairs, and now Edmonton has taken the momentum with back-to-back solid performances.

While the Oilers are also demonstrating their mental fortitude. Leon Draisaitl, who scored the Game 4 winner, mirrored a level-headed approach akin to Maurice's Panthers. “You just get comfortable in those situations knowing that you play one good game, you find a way to get a win on the road, and you go home and the series is tied. That’s really all it is,” Leon Draisaitl stated.Also read: “He’s got the plague”: Paul Maurice’s bizarre joke escalates Sam Bennett contract buzzWith the Stanley Cup Final tied and the series back in Florida, Coach Paul Maurice's even-keel mentality can be the deciding factor. In a series where both clubs are calling upon deep wellsprings of determination, the Panthers will count on their experience in coming back. The Oilers have forced a series again, but Florida's cool under pressure can still shift the momentum back into their hands.