One thing no one could ever say about Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice is that he doesn't go to bat for his players. He knows exactly the right buttons to press, which is why he has been to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals and has won the last two. On Wednesday night, he propped up Sam Bennett after another stellar performance, according to Jameson Olive via X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Sam Bennett is as good a player as there is in the league right now,” Maurice told reporters after the game.
It is Bennett's all-around game that helps the Panthers reach their championship heights. However, he has contributed to the offense over the past 11 games, recording nine goals and six assists. After a slow start to the season, Bennett is now on pace for 56 points, which would be a career-high.
The gritty forward was starting to become a scapegoat in the midst of the Panthers' struggles this season. It was an unfair assessment, given that Bennett was thrust into a bigger role when Aleksander Barkov suffered an injury at training camp. Instead of being a middle-six center who occasionally moved up the lineup, Bennett was now the first-line pivot.
Bennett is now in the middle of Carter Verhaeghe and Brad Marchand. If a coach is trying to get the most out of his players, they are a good duo to put them alongside. Much to the delight of Paul Maurice, the move is paying off for one of his favorites, Sam Bennett.
