Panthers Open Training Camp with Focus on Stanley Cup \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ The Florida Panthers kicked off their training camp, building on the momentum from last season’s Stanley Cup win. Players relived their Game 7 heroics, particularly their crucial puck battle in the final 14 seconds that sealed their championship. As the Panthers prepare for a new season, they are focused on maintaining the habits and work ethic that led them to victory.
Florida Panthers Training Camp Quick Looks:
- Final Game 7 Moments: Florida’s Game 7 win in the Stanley Cup Final ended with a frantic puck battle in the corner, running out the clock to secure a 2-1 victory over Edmonton.
- Training Camp Drills: The Panthers opened training camp with drills designed to replicate those high-pressure moments, reinforcing the value of small plays along the boards.
- Coach Paul Maurice’s Focus: Maurice emphasized that the foundation of the team’s success — focusing on little plays and hard work — remains unchanged as they prepare for another season.
- Player Reflections: Eetu Luostarinen and Jaycob Megna recalled the importance of those final seconds, with Megna noting that the team’s habits paid off when it mattered most.
- No Changes to Routine: The Panthers will follow the same training camp schedule they did last season, believing that their process, which led to a Cup victory, continues to work.
Deep Look:
The Florida Panthers started their 2023-24 season the same way they ended their previous one: focusing on the critical moments that secured their Stanley Cup victory. As training camp opened on Thursday, the Panthers revisited the final seconds of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, a dramatic 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. The team’s ability to pin the puck in the corner during the last 14 seconds of the game, denying Edmonton a chance to tie, became a central theme of the first day of practice.
With the puck trapped in the corner to the left of Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, time ran out on the Oilers’ championship hopes. For the Panthers, those final moments not only secured their first Stanley Cup title but also set the tone for their preparation heading into the new season. As Florida’s players took the ice for the first practice of camp, one of the drills they worked on closely mirrored those frantic final seconds from Game 7. It was a reminder of the importance of winning battles along the boards, which can decide the outcome of not just a game, but a championship.
“It was an unbelievable feeling,” said Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen, reflecting on the team’s Cup-clinching victory. “I think every player lived for that moment and we’re here to work for it.” Luostarinen, who was on the ice during those final moments of Game 7, recalled how Edmonton fought desperately to free the puck for a last-second shot. But the Panthers’ defense, forming a tight logjam around the puck, held firm, preventing any chance of an Oilers comeback.
The theme of mastering those “little plays,” as Panthers head coach Paul Maurice calls them, carried over into Day 1 of training camp. Maurice has long preached the importance of winning battles in the corners and along the boards. “Sometimes, it’ll lead to a goal,” Maurice said, “but sometimes, like the Panthers now know, it can clinch a Stanley Cup title.” Those small but critical moments were something the team discussed even before their first practice, as the coaches and players watched video of the final seconds of Game 7.
“It’s just doing those habits that they did all year,” said defenseman Jaycob Megna, a South Florida native who joined the Panthers during the offseason. “It came to pay off when it mattered most.”
Florida’s practice sessions will be split into two groups over the first four days of camp due to the large roster, which includes more than 50 players. These opening practices are nearly identical to last season’s, which Maurice noted is not based on superstition, but rather confidence in the process that led the Panthers to the Cup. The team firmly believes that their system works, and they see no need to change it heading into the new campaign.
“Certainly, you want to feel like you can add things to your game and grow your game, and we still have lots of room. We have to feel that we can get better,” Maurice explained. “The foundation of what we’re doing has not changed, and we want to cement that right at the start as the single most important thing that we do.”
Despite the excitement of opening camp as defending Stanley Cup champions, the Panthers know that their success last season came from sticking to their core principles — hard work, attention to detail, and relentless effort in every aspect of the game. Those principles will once again guide them as they embark on their title defense.
Final Moments of Game 7: A Training Tool
For the Panthers, the final moments of Game 7 against Edmonton have become more than just a memory of victory — they are a training tool. In those chaotic last seconds, the Panthers displayed a textbook example of protecting a lead by using their bodies and positioning to control the puck in the corner. As the Oilers scrambled to free it and get one last shot on goal, Florida’s players stayed calm under pressure, preventing a clear opportunity and ensuring the clock expired.
Luostarinen, one of the players on the ice during that sequence, vividly remembers the intensity of those final seconds. Edmonton threw everything they had at the Panthers, but Florida’s defense — a wall of players committed to winning that final puck battle — stood strong. “It’s what we have to do well now,” Luostarinen said, recognizing that the small plays, often overlooked during the grind of a regular season, can be the difference in a game, especially when a championship is on the line.
Building on the Same Foundation
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice made it clear that while the team will work to improve and build upon last season, the foundation of their game remains unchanged. The routines and habits established last season will serve as the blueprint for the upcoming year. That includes an emphasis on fundamentals, like puck control along the boards and mastering defensive zone play — both of which were on full display during the Panthers’ Stanley Cup run.
“We still have a lot of room to grow,” Maurice said. “But the foundation of what we do — that doesn’t change.” By maintaining the same practice structure as last year’s camp, the Panthers are reaffirming their belief that success comes from sticking to a proven process, not reinventing the wheel.
Continuity in Practice, Mindset, and Approach
For a team coming off a Stanley Cup win, maintaining continuity is key. Maurice’s approach to camp and his insistence on reinforcing the fundamentals that won them the title reflect the Panthers’ commitment to building a sustained, winning culture. Players like Megna, who joined the team over the summer, have quickly adopted this mindset, learning that Florida’s success comes from its disciplined approach to the game.
With the Panthers opening camp with the same drills and emphasis on details that served them well last season, the message is clear: they may be champions now, but the work is far from over. Every player understands that achieving the ultimate goal requires relentless focus on the small things, whether it’s fighting for a puck in the corner or protecting a lead in the dying seconds of a game.
As the Panthers begin their title defense, they know that the habits and work ethic instilled in camp will play a critical role in their quest to remain at the top of the NHL.
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