BOSTON — When Panthers coach Paul Maurice was deciding on who to scratch in order to get Sam Bennett back into the line up for Game 3 against the Boston Bruins, he knew it was going to be a difficult one.
Ultimately Nick Cousins was the healthy scratch, but it was something Maurice “agonized” over.
“The Cousins one was tough because he’s a big part of it. And I worry about taking a player like Nick out because of the impact it has in the room because he’s so popular. But there’s a there’s a speed function to it,” Maurice said after Florida’s 6-2 win against Boston. “(Steven) Lorentz is a very quick, big man, get in and get on the forecheck. So Sam Bennett comes back in and he’s fine to play but if his game isn’t right, so he’s healthy, but even missing the games that he’s missed in the playoffs, you don’t know what you’re gonna get. So you get into the game and you go, ‘Sam’s not there. He’s he’s fine to play, but his game’s not there. Where do I need it?
“(Kyle) Okposo is built for this series, specifically for the series. He’s heavy, he’s smart, threw huge hits in Game 2 win,” he continued. “… So that’s why it was not easy. And I agonized over it because of the human part of it. Everybody loves this guy. I do too. He’s just got a great personality. I got to take him out of a playoff game. … It’s a sacrifice for our team that we asked him to make tonight. And it was not easy.”
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Cousins, who dethroned Bruins captain Brad Marchand in The Athletic’s annual anonymous player poll of the NHL’s most hated player, didn’t register a point in the Panthers’ first two games of the series. But he’s helped Florida in other areas that don’t necessarily show up on the score sheet, and has been an agitator and able to get under people’s skin.
Maurice said Friday morning that it wasn’t going to be an easy decision who would draw out of the lineup, but noted if Bennett was ready, then he wouldn’t be the one watching games.
Bennett’s presence was immediately felt Friday night, notching an assist in the win. More than that, he played a physical game that didn’t go unnoticed by his teammates.
“I would say that we’ve got guys that are physical, but I don’t think anyone is as physical as Benny,” Matthew Tkachuk said after the game. “He’s not the biggest guy, but he plays so big. He definitely changes our team, for sure.”
Whether Maurice goes with the same lineup for Game 4 remains unknown, but it’s clear he won’t keep Bennett out so long as he feels he can play.
