Florida’s head coach got into an elevator with a Finn and was amazed

Paul Maurice is amazed by Eetu Luostarinen.

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice had just led his coaching staff in a short morning off-day practice session for the team.

The ice exercises lasted approximately half an hour.

After practice, he appeared in front of the media in his usual confident and relaxed style on the day between finals.

Maurice was initially surprised by the environment he was placed in. The Panthers’ practice facility had been renovated last season, and the man said it was his first time sitting in that spot.

He answered questions from the media, and as so often before, this time he was asked about the Finns on the team.

The Panthers’ third line in particular, which has cemented itself into the form of Brad Marchand–Anton Lundell–Eetu Luostarinen, has been a talking point in the playoffs. Vitja has been perhaps the team’s most consistent.

Luostarinen, who is playing for the Panthers for the fifth time, has posted impressive performances in 19 playoff games, with 4+10=14. He collected eight (2+6) points in 24 games in last year’s playoffs.

The leap is gigantic, even though Luostarinen’s points in the regular season were below the level of previous seasons.

The Siilinjärvi native has also developed physically, says Maurice. He told a recent story in which Luostarinen and the panther commander were recently in the same elevator.

– I looked up at him and noticed that he is a big man now.

– Oh my god, Luosty, you’re taller than I thought, Maurice said he threw at the Finn.

Loosty

Maurice is not a small man himself. He is a few centimeters shorter than Luostarinen. According to the NHL website, Luostarinen is 190 centimeters tall.

Additional flow

The veteran Marchand, who joined the Panthers on the transfer deadline, has brought a lot of extra energy to the Finnish duo that has been playing together for a long time.

Maurice said the relationship works both ways. Marchand played for years in Boston alongside Patrice Bergeron, who won no fewer than six Selke Awards for best defensive forward.

There is a trait about the monastery that makes Maurice see Marchand sitting next to the Finnish duo like a glove.

– Bergeron never stole from the game, so Marchand knows how to play that kind of game. That’s why he fits so well next to the Finns.

However, this also works the other way around.

– He has gotten more out of Luostarinen and Lundell in attack.

The 2011 Stanley Cup winner has also brought a touch of mischief to the otherwise matter-of-fact and restrained blue-and-white team. He had a twinkle in his eye and a grin on his lips during practice.

– We already thought that Lundell and Luostarinen had more to offer our attacking game. However, we respected the fact that they did not seek results by cheating on defense.

The chain cannot afford to cheat on defense in the third-place final, which will be played at 3 a.m. Finnish time on Tuesday night.