Paul Maurice on the end of the Leafs' season: "[The media] is going to assign a whole bunch of character flaws that just aren't true... This is a much better team than we played two years ago... There are eight teams with a chance to win, and they are one"

In a post-game address, Coach Paul Maurice reflected on the Panthers' convincing 6-1 victory over the Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their playoff series. He highlighted that Game 7 moments are predominantly driven by the players themselves, as extensive coaching becomes less relevant at this advanced stage of the season. Maurice noted that while both teams showed strong performances, small margins influenced the game. He expressed empathy towards the Leafs, acknowledging the intense scrutiny faced by their players in high-stakes situations, contrasting it with the reward of success.

Game 7s are players' games... There is not much coaching. We have been doing it for 93 games coming in. There is nothing new. There are no tactics.

The emotion and build-up to the game... We owned the first 10 minutes of the first period, and they owned the second 10 minutes. If you flip it, you'd say, 'Oh, they came out right.'

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