Sam Bennett got off to a slow start this season, but the Panthers center has cranked it up, and Tuesday night in Columbus was the loudest proof yet.
Florida's 4-1 win over the Blue Jackets came with Bennett supplying two of the goals. For a player who was searching early, it was the kind of night that changes the mood around a line.
His first came on the power play at 2:00 of the second period. The second was a 4-on-4 snap shot at 14:29 of the third that made it 3-1 and shut the door on any Columbus comeback. He finished with 4 shots on goal in 17:01 of ice time.
Beat writer David Dwork noted it was Bennett's third goal in the Panthers' past five games. Afterward, Bennett said the win mattered because of what came before it.
A morning piece on the Panthers' season so far captures the same turnaround, from a slow start to a player who is now producing.
Why Bennett's line between the Tkachuk brothers matters
Bennett now has 7 goals and 3 assists for 10 points in 19 games. Seven of those points have not come on the power play, either: only 1 of his goals is a power-play goal, so most of the production is coming at even strength and in 4-on-4 situations.
He plays on the line between Brady Tkachuk and Matthew Tkachuk, and that is a spot where a center who shoots like this can feast. Brady Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe each have 10 goals. Bennett is not far behind and moving the right way.
The message in the room was also about teammates. Bennett spoke about Reinhart's milestone, the empty-net goal that was Sam Reinhart's 199th with the Panthers.
A Bennett who keeps shooting like this makes the middle of Paul Maurice's lineup far harder to defend. Keeping him between the Tkachuks looks like the easy call.
Next up is Detroit at home on Thursday, Nov. 12. The Red Wings have lost four straight, so Bennett gets a chance to stretch his run against a team that arrives short on confidence.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should Paul Maurice keep Sam Bennett on the line between the Tkachuk brothers?
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