ANDREW BRUNETTE

Paul Maurice’s journey toward becoming the new coach of the Florida Panthers included a fortuitous flick of the remote control, plus was aided by a college admissions department.

Panthers Maurice FILE -Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice talks to his players during NHL hockey training camp practice in Winnipeg, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. A person with knowledge of the situation said Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers were in the process Wednesday, June 22, 2022 of finalizing a deal to make him the club's new coach. The 55-year-old Maurice will be introduced Thursday morning, the Panthers said. Maurice will replace Panthers interim coach Andrew Brunette, who could remain with the organization if he chooses to do so. TSN first reported that the Panthers and Maurice were finalizing an agreement.

Panthers Maurice FILE -Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice talks to his players during NHL hockey training camp practice in Winnipeg, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. A person with knowledge of the situation said Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers were in the process Wednesday, June 22, 2022 of finalizing a deal to make him the club's new coach. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP, File) (JOHN WOODS)SUNRISE, Fla. — (AP) — Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers are in the process of finalizing a deal to make him the club's new coach, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Maurice will replace Panthers interim coach Andrew Brunette, who could remain with the organization if he chooses to do so. TSN first reported that the Panthers and Maurice were finalizing an agreement.

Joe Thornton’s career may be over.

SUNRISE, Fla. — (AP) — There will be a Presidents’ Trophy banner hanging over the Florida Panthers’ home ice next season. And the earliest that the Panthers will again have to hear about a 26-year drought between playoff series wins is in 2048. On those levels, it was a tremendous season for the Panthers. The best team in hockey’s regular season fell well short of its goal in the postseason. Thornton came to Florida with hopes of finally hoisting a Stanley Cup; time will tell if he has one more season in him.

There will be a Presidents’ Trophy banner hanging over the Florida Panthers’ home ice next season.

Andrei Vasilevskiy had 49 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning completed a four-game sweep of the Florida Panthers with a 2-0 victory that sends the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions back to the Eastern Conference final for the sixth time in eight years.

The Florida Panthers are on the brink of getting swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Tampa Bay Lightning don’t want to get ahead of themselves in their bid to become the first team in 40 years to win three consecutive Stanley Cup titles.

Ross Colton scored with just under four seconds remaining, giving the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The start of the NHL playoffs included more penalties called than any other first round in almost a decade.

The Florida Panthers found what made them the NHL's best regular-season team just in time to win the franchise's first playoff series in 26 years.

Carter Verhaeghe scored the overtime winner to send the Panthers to the second round by beating the Washington Capitals 4-3 in Game 6.

Sam Reinhart tied it late in regulation, Carter Verhaeghe scored his second of the game in overtime and the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida Panthers beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 in Game 4 to tie the first-round series.

The pressure is squarely on the Florida Panthers, New York Rangers and Calgary Flames down two games to one in their respective first-round series.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (Alex Brandon)The NHL playoffs are missing the close games and comebacks that seemingly come annually with all the postseason intensity. “The score of the game doesn’t matter if it’s 2-1 triple-overtime or a little more lopsided,” Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said. That is one game.”HURRICANES at BRUINS, Carolina leads series 2-1 (12:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN)Carolina and Boston are managing injury concerns. WILD at BLUES, Minnesota leads series 2-1 (4:30 p.m. EDT, TBS)The St. Louis Blues have taken another hit to their blue line. “We have to look at it 2-1,” Kings center Phillip Danault said.

The NHL playoffs are missing the close games and comebacks that seemingly comes annually with all the postseason intensity.

Penguins Rangers Hockey Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith makes a save against the New York Rangers in overtime of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) (Adam Hunger)There was a 6-foot-4, 220-pound hole in the Washington lineup in Game 2 against the Florida Panthers. Tom Wilson's injury is one of many around the NHL playoffs that could tip the balance of a series. Washington and Florida are tied going into Game 3 on Saturday (1 p.m. EDT, ESPN), though the first two were polar opposites. ___Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Injuries are threatening to tip the balance of a handful of first-round series around the NHL playoffs.

The eight playoff teams in the Eastern Conference have been set since before the All-Star break.

Panthers Senators Hockey Florida Panthers defenceman Lucas Carlsson (32) passes the puck out of the reach of Ottawa Senators center Dylan Gambrell (27) as Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight (30) watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Ottawa, Ontario. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP) (Justin Tang)OTTAWA, Ontario — (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe scored twice and Spencer Knight stopped 27 shots for his second career shutout as the Florida Panthers beat the Ottawa Senators 4-0 on Thursday night. “I think it was big,” Panthers head coach Andrew Brunette said of Knight’s performance. Give them credit — it was good.”Verhaeghe scored his second of the game midway through the period for his 24th of the season. At the other end of the ice, Knight was holding his own, stopping Auston Watson on a great chance.

Brandon Montour scored 2:26 into overtime and the NHL-leading Florida Panthers extended their winning streak to a franchise-record 13 games by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Saturday night.

Aleksander Barkov scored his 38th goal of the season and the Florida Panthers tied a franchise record with their 12th straight win, beating the Detroit Red Wings 5-2.

Panthers Red Wings Hockey Detroit Red Wings goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) skates in the crease as the Florida Panthers celebrate a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, April 17, 2022, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) (Carlos Osorio)DETROIT — (AP) — Anton Lundell scored twice and the Florida Panthers extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 6-1 rout of the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. “They got two quick, three quick and we didn’t respond, we didn’t get back at them,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said. MILESTONEBefore the game, the Red Wings and Panthers honored referee Brian Pochmara for his 1,000th game. Red Wings visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.

Anton Lundell scored twice and the Florida Panthers extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 6-1 rout of the Detroit Red Wings.

Washington star Alexander Ovechkin and high-scoring Edmonton teammates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl headline the rosters for the NHL All-Star Weekend announced Thursday.

The Florida Panthers were undeterred — again. Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell scored in a shootout, and the Panthers continued their string of comebacks by rallying to beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3 on Saturday. Ville Husso made a career-best 48 saves for the Blues, who got goals from Brandon Saad, Logan Brown and Jake Walman. O'Reilly had two assists for St. Louis. UP NEXTThe teams play again in St. Louis on Tuesday.

Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell scored in a shootout, and the Florida Panthers continued their string of comebacks by rallying from three one-goal deficits to beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3.

The Florida Panthers have matched the best 11-game start in NHL history.

Panthers Bruins Hockey Florida Panthers' Anthony Duclair, center right, celebrates his goal with Aaron Ekblad (5), MacKenzie Weegar (52) and Aleksander Barkov (16) during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) (Michael Dwyer)BOSTON — (AP) — Charlie Coyle had the only score in the shootout and the Boston Bruins beat Florida 3-2 Saturday night, ending the Panthers’ season-opening winning streak at eight games. Anthony Duclair also scored for the Panthers, his sixth of the season, and Knight made 31 saves in his third start. Knight -- playing back on familiar ice in Boston, the city where he played his college hockey -- also saw his personal unbeaten streak end. REMEMBERING JIMMY HAYESThe Bruins and Panthers honored former player Jimmy Hayes by wearing special warmup jerseys with “Haysey” and “Broadway,” his two nicknames.

Charlie Coyle had the only score in the shootout and the Boston Bruins beat Florida 3-2 Saturday night, ending the Panthers’ season-opening winning streak at eight games.

Aleksander Barkov scored in overtime and the Florida Panthers — playing a day after coach Joe Quenneville resigned amid a sex scandal — beat Detroit 3-2 on Friday to run their season-opening winning streak to eight.

Panthers After Quenneville Hockey Florida Panthers assistant coach Andrew Brunette, center, talks with players during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Tuesday, March 23, 2021, in Chicago. Brunette spent four years playing for Joel Quenneville, and until Thursday night, Oct. 28, 2021, worked for Joel Quenneville. Brunette debuted as the replacement for Joel Quenneville as Florida's coach on Friday, running the Panthers through a game-day practice in Detroit. It's a sad day for our organization, it's a sad day for our players, it's a sad day for the game of hockey." Quenneville — a three-time Cup-winning coach, all with Chicago — and the Panthers came calling in 2019, offering Brunette a job as an assistant.

Andrew Brunette is ready to coach the Florida Panthers for as long as the team needs.

Coach resigns: Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville was behind the bench when the team faced Boston on Wednesday night. The Florida Panthers announced today that Head Coach Joel Quenneville has resigned from his role with the club. An interim head coach announcement will be forthcoming.https://t.co/h6Bv3OVdFk — Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) October 29, 2021Assistant coach Andrew Brunette will take over as interim coach, an NHL source told ESPN. The Sun-Sentinel also confirmed that Brunette, who has never been a head coach in the NHL, will take over the team. No one should ever have to endure what Kyle Beach experienced during, and long after, his time in Chicago.

An investigation found then-Blackhawks coach Quenneville did not prioritize addressing sexual assault allegations.