Panthers HC Paul Maurice makes his opinion crystal clear on Maple Leafs' suffering earth-scorching criticism after Game 5 loss 

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice made his opinion clear on the harsh criticism the Toronto Maple Leafs faced after their Game 5 loss in the second-round playoff series against the Panthers.

The Leafs bounced back with a tight 2-0 shutout win in Game 6 to force a decisive Game 7 on Sunday in Toronto.

Maurice pushed back on the earth-scorching criticism the Leafs endured after the Panthers' 6-1 blowout win in Game 5. He felt the heavy backlash was undeserved, considering Toronto played better than the score indicated.

"Not nearly as much as everybody in this room is going to write. They worked hard and played hard tonight. I thought that in the last game. They got killed for the last game, but they didn’t deserve to, in my opinion," Maurice said. (per NHL.com)

He pointed to some lucky bounces that went Florida's way in their lopsided win, including a few goals that deflected off sticks. While Game 5 was still close analytically, the scoreboard told a different story.

Game 6 was a tighter, lower-scoring affair with Auston Matthews and Max Pacioretty scoring for Toronto in the third period. Josep Woll earned a shutout with 21 saves. Sergei Bobrovsky posted 15 saves in the loss.

Maurice acknowledged that both teams played hard, but offensive chances were hard to come by.

"It was a pretty tight game. It didn’t feel like that on the scoreboard, but when you watch the game and look at the analytics, the 6-1 game was the second-tightest game of the series. This one will look a lot like that. There was not as much offense," Paul Maurice assessed.

The series comes down to a high-stakes Game 7 in Toronto on Sunday, with the winner advancing to the Eastern Conference final.

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Paul Maurice on preparation for Game 7 against Leafs

Paul Maurice doesn't think the team needs to look at previous Game 7s to prepare for the upcoming matchup. He said they will examine the game from the night before and determine where improvements can be made.

Maurice explained that the players have complete freedom and energy going into a Game 7.

"Oh, they are free. It’s all the energy you’ve got with no concern about tomorrow. You have talked enough about your game all year, so everyone understands the game you are going to try to play. You don’t need a lot of extra coffee. You’ll be ready to go." Paul Maurice said.

Maurice said that the tension that comes with a Game 7 is an honest part of the experience that brings out the best competition with no room for deception, which is what makes these games so entertaining.