Bennett (upper body) is improving but remains in doubt ahead of Thursday's clash with New Jersey, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.
Head coach Paul Maurice told reporters they would have to see how Bennett is feeling at Thursday's game-day skate, so don't be surprised to see the winger labeled a game-time decision prior to puck drop. Through 15 games this season, the 28-year-old Ontario native is converting at a point-per-game pace, registering nine goals and six helpers, including four power-play points. If Bennett can't play Thursday, look for Jesper Boqvist to remain in a top-six role.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Not playing Tuesday
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Bennett (upper body) won't play Tuesday versus the Devils.
Bennett played 15:14 in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over the Flyers, so it's unclear when he sustained the injury. His absence is a big one for the Panthers -- Bennett has 10 points over his last nine outings. Mackie Samoskevich will enter the lineup and Anton Lundell is projected for a larger role to cover Bennett's absence.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Lights lamp Saturday
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Bennett scored a goal on two shots in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over the Flyers.
Bennett has stayed consistent into November, earning a goal, two assists and nine shots on net over his last four games. The 28-year-old forward continues to center the second line, though his ice time has decreased since the Panthers returned to full health up front last week. Bennett has nine goal, six helpers, 47 shots on net, 32 hits and 16 PIM over 15 appearances.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Hands out helper
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Bennett notched an assist, three shots on goal and two PIM in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Predators.
Bennett saw a six-game point streak end Saturday in Finland versus the Stars, but he bounced back with a helper once the Panthers resumed their schedule stateside. The 28-year-old center is is up to eight goals, six assists, 45 shots on net, 31 hits, 16 PIM and 11 blocked shots over 14 contests. Bennett has never earned a 50-point campaign, but he looks motivated to have a career year as he plays for a new contract.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Lights lamp in fifth straight
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Bennett produced a power-play goal and an even-strength assist in Monday's 5-2 win over the Sabres.
The 28-year-old found the back of the net for the fifth straight game and the eighth time in 11 outings this season. Bennett appears locked into a spot in Florida's top six, and he's flying toward a career-best campaign with 12 points already, a pace that would shatter the mark of 49 points (28 goals, 21 assists) he amassed over 71 regular-season games in 2021-22.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Extends scoring streak Saturday
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Bennett notched a goal, two penalty minutes, five hits and a blocked shot in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Islanders.
Bennett has been getting the job done on both sides of the puck of late, scoring in four consecutive contests but also racking up six penalty minutes, 14 shots, 13 hits and three blocked shots in that span. The 28-year-old center has been one of the most consistent players for the Panthers this season after cracking the scoresheet in eight of his 10 appearances this season, tallying seven goals and three assists to go along with 29 hits.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Goals in three straight games
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Bennett scored a goal on three shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Rangers.
Bennett has three goals and four points over his last three games. The center is tied for fourth in goals early in the season with six over nine contests, and he's added three assists, 33 shots on net, 24 hits, eight PIM and a minus-1 rating. Bennett will see a reduced role once Aleksander Barkov (lower body) returns, but he remains an important part of the Panthers' offense.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Nets lone goal in loss
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Bennett scored a goal on four shots, added four PIM and levied four hits in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Wild.
Bennett broke up Filip Gustavsson's shutout bid with a second-period tally, but that was all Florida could manage. The 28-year-old Bennett has been money early in the season with five goals and three assists over eight contests. He's also logged at least one shot on goal and one hit in each game, for a total of 30 shots and 23 hits. His role will decrease once Aleksander Barkov (lower body) returns, but contract-year Bennett looks to be good news for fantasy managers.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Two-point performance in OT win
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Bennett scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Golden Knights. He also recorded five shots, three hits and a plus-1 rating.
The 28-year-old banged home his fourth goal of the season early in the second period, then helped set up Gustav Forsling for the winner with just 17 seconds left in OT. Bennett has had a strong start to the season for a Panthers squad currently missing Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and Matthew Tkachuk (illness), piling up seven points in the first seven games.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Puts six shots on net
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Bennett recorded a team-high six shots in a 4-3 victory over Boston on Monday but failed to find the back of the net.
Despite not scoring, Bennett put together a strong display with his six shots while moving into a first-line role due to the absence of Aleksander Barkov (lower body). Considering the 28-year-old Bennett recorded three goals through the opening three games of the 2024-25 campaign, fantasy managers probably shouldn't be too concerned that Bennett is cooling off.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Pots PP tally in loss
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Bennett scored a power-play goal on three shots with one hit and a minus-3 rating in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Sabres.
With Matthew Tkachuk (illness) and Aleksander Barkov (lower body) both sidelined, the Panthers' offense struggled as a whole, but Bennett extended his season-opening point streak to three games with a second-period tally. Barkov's injury moved Bennett up to the top power-play unit, improving his odds of staying productive through the rest of October.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Lights lamp twice in win
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Bennett scored two goals in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Bruins.
The 28-year-old potted the first goal of the season for Florida, tapping a loose puck past Joonas Korpisalo just 6:27 into the first period. Bennett then struck again in the first frame, chipping a rebound off the post inside the final minute. He's been a steady contributor during his three full seasons with the Panthers, producing between 40 and 49 points in each campaign and recording a career-high 100 PIM and 173 hits in 2023-24, and he had a strong all-around performance Tuesday with four shots, two blocked shots, two hits, two PIM and a plus-3 rating on his ledger.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Tallies in win
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Bennett scored a goal on two shots, doled out three hits, added two PIM and went minus-2 in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Oilers in Game 3.
Bennett has four goals and three assists during his six-game point streak. The 27-year-old center hadn't taken a minus rating in any of the previous five games, though he was caught on the ice a few times as the Oilers attempted a comeback in the third period of this one. Bennett has done well in a second-line role this postseason with 13 points, 32 shots on net, 73 hits and a plus-3 rating over 15 appearances.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Grabs helper in Game 2
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Bennett registered an assist in a 4-1 Game 2 victory over the Oilers on Monday.
Bennett extended his point streak to five games, having notched three goals, three assists and 15 shots over that stretch. In addition, the 27-year-old winger is adding plenty of physicality, dishing out 32 hits in those five outings. Despite averaging 2:07 of ice time with the man advantage, Bennett hasn't recorded a power-play point in his last six appearances.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Plays heavy in win
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Bennett registered an assist, 11 hits, two shots on goal and two PIM in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Oilers in Game 1.
Bennett is no stranger to heavy play, but he had to be feeling amped up for the series opener of the Stanley Cup Finals. The center has produced 11 points, 28 shots on net, 64 hits and a plus-4 rating through 13 playoff appearances. He remains in a second-line role and should continue to blend offense and physicality as the Panthers look to keep up their high-energy playing style.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Extends goal streak in win
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Bennett potted his sixth goal of the postseason in Saturday's 2-1 series-clinching win over New York in Game 6.
Bennett opened the scoring in the first period after being set up by Evan Rodrigues. Bennett added four shots, three hits, one block and a plus-1 rating in 15:27 of ice time Saturday night. The 27-year-old has elevated his game at a crucial point of the postseason -- he has goals in three straight contests and he finished this series with six points in as many games. Bennett is up to six goals, four assists and a plus-3 rating through 12 playoff appearances.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Registers two points in win
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Bennett scored a goal and added an assist in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Rangers in Game 5.
Bennett was a major contributor in Thursday's win -- he set up Gustav Forsling in the second period to tie the game before potting an empty-netter, which ended up being the game-winner. It was Bennett's first multi-point performance since April 23 against Tampa Bay. The 27-year-old has five points in as many games in this series, and he's back to centering the second line after a recent stint on the third line. This would suggest that Bennett is close to or at full strength after missing five contests across the first two rounds of the postseason. Bennett is up to five goals and nine points with a plus-2 rating in 11 playoff appearances.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Bends twine in Game 4
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Bennett scored a goal on two shots in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Rangers in Game 4.
Since returning from injury, Bennett has notched three goals and two assists, including three power-play points, in his last eight contests. The 27-year-old center has been boom or bust on the shot front over that stretch, having failed to garner a single shot in three of those eight outings.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Notches helper in loss
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Bennett registered a power-play assist in Friday's 2-1 overtime loss against the Rangers in Game 2.
Bennett had the primary helper on Carter Verhaeghe's power-play goal in the first period of Friday's loss to tie the game. It was the only goal for Florida and the game went to overtime -- Bennett had more ice time as a result, although he's been deployed on the third line lately. The 27-year-old has three goals, three assists and an even plus-minus rating in eight playoff contests.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Seals win for Florida
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Bennett scored an empty-net goal in Wednesday's 3-0 win over New York in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Bennett was held off the scoresheet in consecutive games prior to helping seal the win for Florida in Game 1. He added five shots, three hits and a plus-1 rating in 13:17 of ice time. Bennett's ice time will be something to monitor going forward -- he's currently centering Florida's third line after playing most of the regular season on the second line with Matthew Tkachuk. Bennett is up to five points (three goals) in seven contests so far this postseason.
