FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Paul Maurice is self-aware enough to not publicly complain about Leon Draisaitl’s flying elbow to Sasha Barkov’s jaw.
Some coaches would be screaming after Barkov was knocked out of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final. Some general managers would be pounding on the door of the NHL, demanding answers, suspensions, some kind of retribution.
But how do the Florida Panthers, in good conscience, with Sam Bennett on their roster, with Matthew Tkachuk, advocating hockey on the edge, complain about anything that happens in this or any other playoff season?
Maurice understands that. He’s selling his game to the Panthers players. So, intentionally, he kept uncharacteristically quiet after the game Monday and maintained that position with his media availability the day after.
Barkov’s status remains unknown for Game 3 Thursday night — but the schedule works in favour of the Panthers with an extra day off between games.
Draisaitl is unlikely to get any kind of punishment from the NHL’s apparent department of safety. That’s mostly because he’s Draisaitl. But really, he and the Edmonton Oilers have already been punished enough for his momentary lack of control.
Draisaitl left his feet, delivered either an elbow or a forearm shiver to the chin area of Barkov, which knocked the Florida captain out of the game with half-a-period to play Monday night.
Florida led by one goal at the time of Draisaitl’s roughing penalty. The game was that close.
But with Draisaitl in the box, Evan Rodrigues scored his third goal in two games to make it 3-1 Florida and basically pushed the Panthers to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The good news on Barkov, said Maurice, was that “he came in today and he wasn’t worse. That’s a really good thing.
“The real assessment should come tomorrow. And if he continues to progress, he should be a player for us.”
But it’s all speculation at this point.
“We had some things that needed to get looked at today and they got looked at,” said Maurice, who wouldn’t say what those things were. He might be talking about a concussion. He might be talking about a broken jaw. He might be talking about some kind of neck injury.
“Today, he feels strong,” said the coach. “But you’ve got to give it 24 hours to make sure that he’s still feeling strong. If that continues to progress, he should be a player for us.”
The Panthers have been used to playing shorthanded in playoff games past. They played five games earlier this playoff season without the rambunctious Sam Bennett. Last year, on their way to the Stanley Cup final, they had several players, including Bennett and team leader Tkachuk, playing through horrendous injuries.
This year, the Panthers are almost a picture of health considering they are headed to their 20th post-season game on Thursday night.
And the Oilers, struggling with injuries to Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse, and a lack of production throughout their lineup, are now fighting for their playoff lives. Heading home should help somewhat.
“They’re an excellent, excellent home team,” said Maurice, not certain if he will have his No. 1 centre Barkov in the lineup.
Draisaitl, for one, has to be better himself. He said that after Game 2. Players always say those kind of things after losing playoff games.
But Draisaitl also knows he has to be smarter. He can’t make this kind of undisciplined determination, with a game on the line one that factored prominently in the defeat in Game 2. Draisaitl is supposed to win games for the Oilers, not lose them.
But the great playoff giant is actually struggling right now, which isn’t where you normally find him. He has just one goal and only two assists in his past seven playoff games for the Oilers. He has no points in the final. The previous seven games, he had 13 points, four of them goals.
All-world centre Connor McDavid has just one assist and no goals through two games against Florida, most of his ice time spent playing against Barkov and the defence pairing of Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad.
He has to be better as well, and less distracted.
But between now and game time, there will certainly be more talk about Draisaitl, more distraction about the hit, the lack of response by the league and the Oilers scoring just one goal in the first two games.
A lot to talk about. Just not for the usually talkative Maurice.
“I’ll stay out of it,” he said, asked again about the Draisaitl hit.
“It’s done for me.
He admitted he showed up at the post-game news conference “grumpy” because of what happened to his captain and the unknown that surrounded the circumstance.
“I try to present myself honestly,” said the well spoken Maurice. “I don’t (usually) measure my words. But I knew, going to that press conference, that I was going to be asked about it. So I just shut up. I kept it short.”
And now the question is: Will be the series be short?
That certainly wasn’t the expectation going in.
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Barkov’s status remains unknown for Game 3 Thursday night — but the schedule works in favour of the Panthers with an extra day off between games.
Draisaitl is unlikely to get any kind of punishment from the NHL’s apparent department of safety. That’s mostly because he’s Draisaitl. But really, he and the Edmonton Oilers have already been punished enough for his momentary lack of control.
Draisaitl left his feet, delivered either an elbow or a forearm shiver to the chin area of Barkov, which knocked the Florida captain out of the game with half-a-period to play Monday night.
Florida led by one goal at the time of Draisaitl’s roughing penalty. The game was that close.
But with Draisaitl in the box, Evan Rodrigues scored his third goal in two games to make it 3-1 Florida and basically pushed the Panthers to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The good news on Barkov, said Maurice, was that “he came in today and he wasn’t worse. That’s a really good thing.
“The real assessment should come tomorrow. And if he continues to progress, he should be a player for us.”
But it’s all speculation at this point.
“We had some things that needed to get looked at today and they got looked at,” said Maurice, who wouldn’t say what those things were. He might be talking about a concussion. He might be talking about a broken jaw. He might be talking about some kind of neck injury.
“Today, he feels strong,” said the coach. “But you’ve got to give it 24 hours to make sure that he’s still feeling strong. If that continues to progress, he should be a player for us.”
The Panthers have been used to playing shorthanded in playoff games past. They played five games earlier this playoff season without the rambunctious Sam Bennett. Last year, on their way to the Stanley Cup final, they had several players, including Bennett and team leader Tkachuk, playing through horrendous injuries.
This year, the Panthers are almost a picture of health considering they are headed to their 20th post-season game on Thursday night.
And the Oilers, struggling with injuries to Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse, and a lack of production throughout their lineup, are now fighting for their playoff lives. Heading home should help somewhat.
“They’re an excellent, excellent home team,” said Maurice, not certain if he will have his No. 1 centre Barkov in the lineup.
Draisaitl, for one, has to be better himself. He said that after Game 2. Players always say those kind of things after losing playoff games.
But Draisaitl also knows he has to be smarter. He can’t make this kind of undisciplined determination, with a game on the line one that factored prominently in the defeat in Game 2. Draisaitl is supposed to win games for the Oilers, not lose them.
But the great playoff giant is actually struggling right now, which isn’t where you normally find him. He has just one goal and only two assists in his past seven playoff games for the Oilers. He has no points in the final. The previous seven games, he had 13 points, four of them goals.
All-world centre Connor McDavid has just one assist and no goals through two games against Florida, most of his ice time spent playing against Barkov and the defence pairing of Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad.
He has to be better as well, and less distracted.
But between now and game time, there will certainly be more talk about Draisaitl, more distraction about the hit, the lack of response by the league and the Oilers scoring just one goal in the first two games.
A lot to talk about. Just not for the usually talkative Maurice.
“I’ll stay out of it,” he said, asked again about the Draisaitl hit.
“It’s done for me.
He admitted he showed up at the post-game news conference “grumpy” because of what happened to his captain and the unknown that surrounded the circumstance.
“I try to present myself honestly,” said the well spoken Maurice. “I don’t (usually) measure my words. But I knew, going to that press conference, that I was going to be asked about it. So I just shut up. I kept it short.”
And now the question is: Will be the series be short?
That certainly wasn’t the expectation going in.
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