All the talk surrounding Game 1 of the series between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs has been about Sam Bennett and Anthony Stolarz. It should be about the Maple Leafs' domination through the first two periods or the Panthers' flipping the switch and nearly mounting a comeback. However, everyone wants to discuss whether Bennett should've been given supplemental discipline. According to Jonas Siegel, Paul Maurice wants the narrative surrounding Bennett to stop immediately.

“Yeah, he plays hard. There was a hit two and a half years ago that you guys have shown 4,000 times. There was a parking ticket seven years ago that I think actually made the video. He's got the puck, he's on a power play, he goes to the net. He's not through the paint,” Maurice said to the assembled media. “Like, call the fire department, put your hair out, and let's move on, please.”

Maurice will always defend his players, as we've seen countless times before, even as recent as their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Whether he believes it or not, Maurice won't let people say he doesn't care about his group. As an experienced coach, he knows the other team and the officials could target his habitual line-stepper if he doesn't try to calm the tensions surrounding Bennett's hit.

Expect tight officiating for Panthers and Sam Bennett

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Craig Berube and the Maple Leafs have done enough lobbying about last night's incident, and the league will be on notice when these teams drop the puck on Wednesday night. The NHL will fear retribution for Bennett and be eager to prove he won't get away with any more shenanigans. It wouldn't be surprising to see an early penalty to calm the anger and help the players on the ice settle into the game.

Maurice's comments to the media are just some politicking, hoping to stop that early first period penalty before it happens. Will his comments do that? It's unlikely. However, it's what any good coach would do, and it's why Maurice has led his team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals.