Paul Maurice quips about Jacob Trouba's penalty for high shoulder hit on Evan Rodrigues

Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice made a witty remark regarding Jacob Trouba's penalty after a controversial elbow hit on Evan Rodrigues during Game 3 of the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers Eastern Conference final series on Sunday.

The play in question occurred during the final minutes of the second period, when Trouba made a high elbow hit to the head area of Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues. The New York Rangers captain was initially assessed a major penalty for the hit, but the decision was later changed to a minor penalty after the review.

Rodrigues remained on the ice for several minutes after the hit and eventually left for the locker room. He returned in the third period and also played in overtime, where the Panthers lost 5-4 in overtime to the Rangers in Game 3.

When asked about whether Jacob Trouba should have received a major penalty for a hit on Evan Rodrigues, Paul Maurice didn't provide a clear answer. Rather than giving a direct response, he opted for a witty remark in his reply.

Here's what Paul Maurice said of the Jacob Trouba penalty (via Peter Baugh of The Athletic on X):

“I think I’ve got enough on my plate. I’m not going to do any refereeing or player safety tonight," Maurice said.

Trouba also received a penalty after the Panthers had tied the game in the third period. The Blue Shirts captain had quite a busy afternoon at Amerant Arena, contributing two assists with nine blocked shots and accumulating six penalty minutes during the matchup.

Paul Maurice on Game 3 loss to the Rangers

Alex Wennberg won it for the Blue Shirts when Ryan Lindgren's shot from the left point was redirected off the shaft of his stick in front of the goal, leading into the back of the net for the game-winning goal at 5:33 of overtime.

This was a back-to-back overtime win for the Blue Shirts in the series, and they have an impressive record of 4-0 in overtime in the playoffs.

Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice spoke to the media after the game and highlighted the importance of keeping the energy going during the playoffs.

He said (via NHL.com):

"Sometimes you want to keep the growl,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “A lot of times in the playoffs it is about keeping your energy going. Cut off losses, let it go. Then there are times you want to keep it, to eat it, let it burn for a little while and find a different kind of energy source."

The Rangers are up 2-1 against the Panthers in their Eastern Conference final series. Game 4 returns to Florida on Tuesday.