The Florida Panthers aren’t worried about starting the Stanley Cup Final on the road Wednesday.
“We’re a super-confident team on the road this year. I think we almost prefer it this year. It’s a little different, less time at home, but we’re up for the challenge.”
Forward Sam Bennett told NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin the team has embraced playing away from Sunrise this postseason.
The Panthers have won five straight road games in the playoffs. They’re 8-2 overall away from home, outscoring opponents 48-21 in those games.
That’s a major turnaround from their 20-19-2 road record during the regular season.
Bennett explained the benefits of playoff road life. “You have no distractions. You’re just with the team, you’re with your guys, and your whole focus is playing hockey.”
“Sometimes that’s a little nice. Especially this time of year, it gets a little busy down here with all the excitement, all the family and friends want to come out.”
The Edmonton Oilers will test Florida’s road success. Edmonton is 6-1 at home in the playoffs while averaging 4.71 goals per game.
The Oilers finished three points ahead of Florida in the regular season standings. That earned them home-ice advantage for this Cup Final rematch.
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said his team won’t change their approach based on venue.
“I don’t think our game changes a whole heck of a lot. We’re not a heavy match team, maybe that’s part of it.”
Maurice pointed to the team’s forward depth as a key factor. “We’ve got pretty good forward depth there, so we don’t feel that when we get home, and you get home-ice advantage from the match that it’s that big a deal.”
The Panthers took a 3-0 series lead in last year’s matchup. They ultimately won Game 7 to capture their first Stanley Cup.
This year’s Final begins Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET in Edmonton.
