Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers Ready for the Return of ‘Playoff’ Sam Bennett
FORT LAUDERDALE — The last thing the Florida Panthers need at this point in their season would be to lose another player to injury.
Matthew Tkachuk, Dmitry Kulikov, and Aaron Ekblad are already out of the lineup with Brad Marchand likely making his debut with the Panthers tonight against the Utah Hockey Club.
So, when Sam Bennett took a shot off a knee Sunday night, Paul Maurice likely held his breath a little longer than usual.
Bennett is fine and, after a few days away from the ice, all is well.
With the postseason around the corner, this is obviously good news.
After all, Bennett is called ‘Playoff Sam’ for a reason.
When the games really start to count, every team needs a guy just like Sam Bennett due to the increased physicality of the playoffs.
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The aggressiveness can sometimes cross a line.
Bennett KO’ing Marchand in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last year is a perfect reminder of what playoff hockey is like.
Marchand is now a teammate. He and Bennett appear to now have a close relationship.
It hasn’t even been a year.
In hockey, animosities can be forgotten — or at least, forgiven — quickly.
These two guys, along with Tkachuk upon his assumed return, will make it far from a pleasure to play against the Panthers in the playoffs.
Bennett is reminiscent of some of the old-time bad guys who became invaluable in the postseason.
John Ferguson and Claude Lemieux come to mind.
Lemieux won the Stanley Cup four times with three teams and scored 80 goals in 234 playoff games over 21 seasons. He had 529 playoff penalty minutes.
Ferguson won the Cup five times with Montreal. He racked up 260 penalty minutes in 85 games.
Bennett admits that he ramps things up just a little bit more come playoff time.
“I think I just learned over time how to bring more intensity in playoff games and how important it is to have success in the playoffs is to play that way,’’ Bennett said.
“Obviously I don’t think it’s possible to play like that throughout the regular season. It’s just that you wouldn’t be able to — maybe for 25-30 games it’s possible. It’s just a mindset more than anything.”
He continued by saying every playoff game is a do or die effort.
“I think that’s pretty much how I approach it,” he said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help our team succeed and whether it’s putting the body on the line or whatever it may be. It’s just that every play matters in the playoffs and that’s how I try to approach it.”
Bennett’s postseason success not only with the Panthers but with Calgary before it has him as one of the top names in this season’s free agency market.
Rumor has it that he wants to stay in Florida and that the two sides have begun to talk.
Bill Zito’s acquisition of Bennett from Calgary before the trade deadline in the 2021 abbreviated season turned out to be one of his best deals since becoming general manager.
That’s saying something.
Unlike some of his other trades, it did not cost a first-round pick to get Bennett — and it turned out to be a one-sided deal.
Bennett was foundering in Calgary, at least during the regular season, but saw his career resurrected when he joined the Panthers.
His aggressive style was just what the Panthers needed, especially in the postseason.
Bennett showed his worth to the Flames in the playoffs before he was traded to the Panthers, and he has continued that in Florida.
After scoring five goals in his final postseason run with the Flames in 2020, Bennett had five points in Florida’s first-round exit in 2021.
Bennett has 12 goals in Florida’s past two postseasons, helping the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final in both.
Even last year, when he broke his hand in the opening round and missed five games, Bennett scored seven goals and had 14 points in Florida’s march to the Cup.
The Florida Panthers love his ability to use his brawn to create offense.
“He is pretty unique in his game,’’ Maurice said earlier this season. “There are not a lot of people who play at a very high level who are as physical and intense in their play. He is a big part of what we do here.
“There are not a lot of Sam Bennetts out there. He does not hit the ice looking to score goals. He just plays as hard as he can. And, he happens to have the ability to make plays and score goals.’’
Especially when the games count most.
ON DECK: GAME No. 72
UTAH HOCKEY CLUB at FLORIDA PANTHERS
- When: Friday, 7 p.m.
- Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
- Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
- National TV: NHL Network
- Local Streaming Only: Panthers+
- Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL app
- Season Series (Panthers Lead 1-0) — At Utah: Panthers 4, Utahs 1 (Jan. 8). At Florida: Friday.
- Last Season vs. Arizona Coyotes: Florida Won 2-0
- All-time Regular Season Series vs. Coyotes/Utahs: Florida leads 22-20-0, 3 ties
- Up Next for the Panthers: Sunday vs. Montreal Canadiens, 1 p.m.
