Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice was fined $25,000 US by the NHL on Thursday for criticizing the officiating in his group’s recreation on the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this week.
Maurice mentioned he did not know what referees Francois St-Laurent and Pierre Lambert have been doing aside from it was not pleasant towards his group. He known as out St-Laurent specifically in his postgame feedback following Florida’s 5-4 extra time loss Tuesday.
“I simply defined to them that it had nothing to do with my gamers,” Maurice instructed reporters in Toronto. “It needed to do with me and a relationship that I’ve with one of many referees. That’s what that was all about.”
Maurice was fined $5,000 in 2016 when teaching the Winnipeg Jets for criticizing St-Laurent, who didn’t name a penalty on a success to the pinnacle of heart Bryan Little.
Maurice lamented the schedule his group confronted with robust journey and mentioned of St-Laurent and Lambert the league then “threw these two guys at us.”
The Panthers have been whistled for 10 penalties to the Maple Leafs’ six. They spent practically 10 minutes on seven totally different penalty kills and allowed two power-play objectives as a part of blowing a 4-2 lead.
Maurice mentioned it was “exhausting to explain” among the penalties, significantly a roughing name on defenceman Radko Gudas late within the second interval.
“There’ll at all times be penalties that you just soak up a recreation you earn,” Maurice mentioned. “There’s a complete bunch you are not going to love in any respect. I assumed we had the inordinate share of these.”
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A message despatched to a Panthers spokesperson in search of remark from the group, Maurice or normal supervisor Bill Zito was not instantly returned. Asked Thursday morning in Montreal concerning the officiating, Maurice joked. “It can be fiscally irresponsible for me to say something ever once more.”
The effective cash goes to the NHL Foundation.
Maurice, 55, is in his first season with the Panthers and twenty fifth as a head coach within the league. He trails solely New Jersey’s Lindy Ruff for probably the most regular-season wins amongst lively coaches.
