BOSTON — Paul Maurice doesn’t think Sam Bennett punched Brad Marchand.
He doesn’t think Bennett interfered with Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.
And as long as the officials keep agreeing with him, he doesn’t care who disagrees.
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The cerebral Panthers coach often has some flair with a microphone in front of him, especially when he’s winning. After Sunday’s 3-2 win that gave Florida a 3-1 lead, he knows the Bruins and their fans are frustrated by two non-calls against Bennett. He knows many media members, including those from national outlets, have been surprised by the noncalls. Maurice seems amused by it.
His team is winning the actual games and the minds games.
After a rough Game 1, he and his team have rebounded to win three straight. They are not only beating the Bruins but appear to be in Boston’s collective heads. With the leverage that comes from a commanding series lead, he’s embraced it.
“There’s been lots of energy with this, lots of coverage and I think you’ve lost your minds on it,” he said. “Which is fine, you have that right.”
The controversy started after Game 3. In the second period, Bennett hit Brad Marchand sending him to the ice behind the play. Marchand tried to play through it, but missed the third period and eventually Game 4.
The hit received little attention immediately after that game, but after video emerged showing Bennett hitting Marchand in the face with his hand, the controversy blew up.
The Bruins complained about it. Maurice downplayed it and everybody watched to see if Boston would try to serve Bennett some version of frontier justice.
They did try. Bennett turned down heavyweight Pat Maroon, who tried and failed to get Bennett to engage. He rebuffed middleweight Jakub Lauko too. Bennett threw no more punches and stayed on the ice, allowing him to add to his Boston notoriety in the third period.
With the Panthers trailing 2-1, he pushed/cross-checked Charlie Coyle in the back sending the Boston forward sprawling onto goalie Jeremy Swayman. Then, with Swayman unable to move back across, Bennett shot the puck into the open net.
The Bruins challenged the goal and when the replay ran on the video board, there was a sound of almost relief at TD Garden. The replay seemed clear enough that the goal was going to be negated.
An ESPN reporter asked Maurice:
“Hand on a bible were you surprised that that goal counted by Bennett?”
When he immediately responded “No,” the surprised reaction of a different reporter in the front row caught his attention.
“Are you O.K.?,” he said sarcastically. “Do you need a minute? You looked pained.”
He then continued.
“I will have an opinion, it will be noted in that, it will have no impact on the play of the game,” he said and then proceeded. “The contract between the two was not egregious at all. The play just gets finished. …The only way I was particularly concerned was by some of your foreheads right now (gesturing to the people in front of him). The people in the media doing that.”
Without prompting, Maurice circled back to his verbal joust.
“I don’t mean to offend you but we don’t always share the same opinion about what happens on the ice and I am absolutely biased. One-Hundred percent,” he said. “Sometimes I feel like you guys are too.
“I think you missed the point of the (Marchand) injury and I think you missed the hit that caused it. That’s how I feel about it,” he continued and then smiled. “Like you need some more gasoline.”
He then mic-dropped and walked out with the swagger of a man, one game away from winning the series.
If he’s smug now, how much worse will it be if the Panthers win again on Tuesday?
Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.
