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Panthers’ Sam Bennett defends rough hit that sidelined Brad Marchand
"It’s playoff hockey. There are going to be hard plays. Obviously, it’s unfortunate he got hit, but that’s just a hockey play in my mind.”
After issuing a rough hit that sidelined Brad Marchand Friday night, Panthers center Sam Bennett insisted the play was nothing but good ‘ol playoff hockey.
But the collision, which occurred in the first period of Game 3 against the Panthers, kept Marchand out of the lineup for Sunday’s Game 4 and sparked controversy.
Upon making contact with Marchand, Bennett attempted to deflect the hit with his arms, striking him in the head. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery called the hit “outside the lines,” and said Bennett “knew what he was doing.”
Bennett, however, remained adamant that the aggressive play-style is just a result of dogged playoff hockey.
“On that play, obviously I’m not trying to punch him in the head like everyone’s saying,” Bennett told the NHL on TNT crew following the Panthers’ third-straight win over Boston. “Other people can have different opinions. I’m just bracing myself for him coming to hit me. There’s no way I would have had time to think about punching him in the head. People can see it however they want. It’s playoff hockey. There are going to be hard plays. Obviously, it’s unfortunate he got hit, but that’s just a hockey play in my mind.”
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TNT analyst Colby Armstrong disagreed with Bennett’s assessment, explaining that he’s known as somewhat of a “junkyard dog” around the league.
“We’ve seen Sam Bennett do this before. He got kind of Matthew Knies last year in the playoffs as well,” Armstrong said. “I know Bennett, I know Bennet plays on the edge… He’s nasty, he lives right there and he’ll get you if he can. And that was hidden.”
As the Bruins look to defend themselves against elimination in the series down 3-1, they’ll have another shot at a win Tuesday night. Marchand’s status remains day-to-day according to Montgomery’s assessment Sunday, meaning Boston could be without one of their stars for the rest of round two.
The Bruins travel back down to Florida to face off against the Panthers in Game 5 on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
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