The Florida Panthers are on the verge of repeating as Stanley Cup champions thanks to their convincing 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday evening in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Panthers managed to get the bad taste of their stunning 5-4 overtime loss in Game 4 out of their mouths with a quick pair of goals in the opening period from Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett en route to their win, which gave them a 3-2 advantage in the series.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice, who has now guided the franchise to three consecutive appearances in the Cup Final, received a glowing review about his performance since joining the franchise given by general manager Bill Zito, via The Athletic.

“I can’t say enough about him as a coach,’’ Zito said after the 5-2 win over the Oilers. “And you’re right, when he first came, a lot of people threw us under the bus. You’d be surprised who threw us under the bus.”

The Panthers struggled for the most part to find consistency in the 2022-23 NHL season, Maurice's first behind the Florida bench. They were the last team to qualify for the postseason, and went on to shock the 65-win Boston Bruins with a seven-game series victory on the way to the first of what would be three straight Cup Final appearances.

“I think it’s one of the first things he said is, ‘Hey, it’s going to take us a little while, we’re going to have to be patient with this,’’’ Zito added. “He’s a great tactician, a great motivator, a great man. He’s a coach that the guys don’t want to disappoint. So it’s easy to execute what you’re being taught.’’

While Zito didn't name names, it's clear that Maurice and the Panthers are the ones who are getting the last laugh on those who doubted him.

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Maurice and the Panthers will attempt to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup on Tuesday evening at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Paul Maurice gave credit to the Panthers for playing a defensive style

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice looks on during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers in game three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena.
Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Maurice attested to the defensive-oriented system that the Panthers play while noting that team captain Aleksander Barkov has won the Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward three times, including the last two consecutive seasons.

“I’m not trying to be humble here. This is all about the compete of the players,” Maurice said. “When the captain of your team wins Selke awards, that’s the foundation of your game.’’

While Maurice's system may have taken a while to implement in his first season as coach, there's no denying that they've responded as well as any team could have, especially in the postseason.