Panthers HC Paul Maurice rallies behind Tomas Nosek after costly penalty in Game 1 OT loss to Oilers

Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice stood by Tomas Nosek after a tough moment in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday.

Nosek was called for a delay of game penalty in overtime, which led to Leon Draisaitl’s game-winning goal at 19:29. The Edmonton Oilers took a 4-3 win to go 1-0 up in the best-of-seven series.

After the loss, Maurice backed his veteran forward.

"You just remind him after the game of being down 0-2 to Toronto and that line came in and changed everything for us," Maurice said.

Maurice had made changes to the fourth line during the second-round series against the Maple Leafs. Tomas Nosek was included on Panthers' fourth line with Jesper Boqvist and Jonah Gadjovich.

In that crucial Game 3 against the Maple Leafs, Nosek and his line scored a second-period goal to give Florida a 4-3 lead before winning 5-4 in overtime. That was a turning point for the Panthers, as they won three of their next five to secure their spot in the Western Conference finals.

"We're not here without Thomas," Maurice said. "It's a tough break. We just make sure he doesn't eat alone tonight. He's got lots of people sitting at his table. Remind him of how good he's been to us.

"It's going to be a tough one. He's going to eat that one for a day. But from his penalty kill to again, that line really changed the flow of that Toronto series. We'll remind him of that a whole bunch of times before the puck drops."

Nosek played 9:20 minutes in Game 1. He didn’t score but recorded one shot, and he has been a steady bottom-six player throughout the postseason, with three assists and a +5 rating in the 2024-25 playoffs.

During the regular season, he scored once and added eight assists in 59 games, finishing with a +4 rating.

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Panthers' Brad Marchand rallies behind Tomas Nosek

Veteran forward Brad Marchand, who was acquired near the trade deadline in March, also showed his support for Tomas Nosek.

"That stuff happens in the game of hockey," Marchand said, via USA Today. "It's a bad break. He's been a great player for us all year, all playoffs."

Despite the mistake, Paul Maurice and Co. are focused on helping Nosek as the series progresses. The Panthers will look to bounce back in Game 2 with their depth and unity intact. They are looking to defend their Stanley Cup title, having beaten the Oilers in seven games in the Finals.