Paul Maurice Ponders Odd Hypothetical For Bruins-Panthers Game 6

The Bruins and Panthers are preparing for what should be an exciting Game 6 in Boston, but Paul Maurice won’t be spending his preparation pondering hypotheticals.

The Florida head coach notoriously keeps a light tone in his news conference amid the gamesmanship that he plays during the Stanley Cup playoffs. He did that when he took a small jab at Brad Marchand.

On Thursday, he went philosophical when asked how he prepares his team for what’s going to happen in Game 6 at TD Garden.

“Something I know is gonna happen, that I know,” Maurice told reporters, per Florida Hockey Now. “The rest of it I don’t, so I won’t spend any time wondering about the ‘what-ifs.’ The things that you don’t know. You put your heart and soul into Game 6. But what if you need to lose Game 6 to win Game 7? What if you don’t learn anything in Game 6, and you win and then you’re out four straight in the next round? I don’t spend any time worrying about the result. I’m gonna make sure the team’s prepared. I’m gonna make sure they feel good about the game. I don’t know if ‘coaching my ass off’ means anything. But I’m gonna go ahead and try to be a part of it.”

Now, Bruins fans shouldn’t leap with joy over the thought of Florida wanting to lose so it can learn a lesson for Game 7. But it was an odd thing for Maurice to bring up. It could speak to the confidence the Panthers head coach has in his team; they have a 3-2 series lead for a reason.

The Bruins will bring their do-or-die mentality for another game as they hope to keep their season alive with a win in Game 6 on Monday.