Panthers' Sam Bennett: Sparks third-period comeback
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Bennett scored a goal on three shots in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Penguins.
Bennett had the first of three goals in a span of 4:32 for the Panthers in the middle of the third period. That was enough to help them salvage a standings point. This was Bennett's fourth straight game with a goal and fifth in a row with a point. He's up to 13 tallies, 11 helpers, 77 shots on net, 53 hits, 28 PIM and a minus-5 rating while filling the second-line center role in a strong offense.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Goals in three straight games
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Bennett scored a goal Saturday in a 6-0 win over Carolina.
Bennett has put up a goal in three consecutive games, and he has points in four straight (three goals, two assists). He also has 14 shots during the streak. Bennett has put up 40 points or more in each of the last three seasons, but he's on an even greater pace in 2024-25. His 12 goals, 11 assists and 74 shots in 24 games put Bennett on pace for 78 points and 252 shots, both of which would be career bests. That's a big stretch for a 28-year-old whose best totals came in 2021-22 (28 goals, 49 points, 241 shots), but never say never. Ride the Bennett wave for now until his pace slows.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Fills empty cage
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Bennett scored an empty-net goal on six shots, added two hits and went plus-2 in Friday's 6-3 win over the Hurricanes.
Bennett has scored in back-to-back games and has two goals and five assists over his last eight outings. The 28-year-old center continues to look hungry in his contract year. He's up to 11 goals, 11 helpers, 70 shots on net, 50 hits, 26 PIM and a minus-6 rating over 23 appearances. So far, that's been a fantasy goldmine, but his 15.7 shooting percentage will likely dip, if not drop outright, over time.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Goal, assist in win
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Bennett delivered his 10th goal of the season and added an assist in Wednesday's 5-1 win over Toronto.
Bennett had a pair of points in the third period to help Florida snap a four-game losing streak. The Ontario native has been very consistent this season, as he's only been held off the scoresheet on five occasions through 22 games. Bennett is poised for a career year in his 11th NHL season -- he's currently just under a point-per-game pace, and he's never topped 49 points as a professional. If he can stay healthy, the left-shot center should pass that number with ease given his top-six role and spot on the man advantage. Bennett is up to 10 goals and 11 assists, and he's tied for second on the team in scoring with Aleksander Barkov, though the latter has played seven less games.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Dishes helper
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Bennett recorded an assist, two shots and a minus-2 rating during Monday's 4-1 loss to the Capitals.
Bennett got back on the scoresheet after being blanked in his previous two outings. The 28-year-old has notched an impressive nine goals and 10 helpers over 21 games and is on track to smash his previous career-high of 49 points in 71 contests, a mark he set during the 2021-22 season.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Deals assist in return
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Bennett notched an assist, two shots on goal and three hits in Thursday's 6-2 loss to the Devils.
Bennett missed Tuesday's game against the Devils due to an injury concern that tightened up on him prior to the contest. It's unclear if this issue will be an ongoing one or if he's fully moved past it. The 28-year-old has been one of the Panthers' most important forwards in 2024-25, racking up nine goals, seven assists, 49 shots on net, 35 hits, 16 PIM and a minus-1 rating over 16 contests. Bennett should be locked in as the second-line center when he's available.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Good to return Thursday
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Bennett (upper body) is set to play Thursday against New Jersey, per Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.
Bennett missed Tuesday's 4-1 loss to New Jersey. Before that absence, he was red hot, recording six goals and 10 points across his past nine appearances. Bennett is projected to play alongside Jesper Boqvist and Matthew Tkachuk in his return.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Considered game-time decision
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Bennett (upper body) is considered a game-time decision for Thursday's matchup against the Devils, Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post reports.
Bennett was unavailable for Tuesday's game against New Jersey due to an upper-body injury, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be able to suit up in Thursday's rematch. If he's unavailable Thursday, Jesper Boqvist is a candidate to remain in a top-six role.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Questionable for Thursday
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Bennett (upper body) is improving but remains in doubt ahead of Thursday's clash with New Jersey, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.
Head coach Paul Maurice told reporters they would have to see how Bennett is feeling at Thursday's game-day skate, so don't be surprised to see the winger labeled a game-time decision prior to puck drop. Through 15 games this season, the 28-year-old Ontario native is converting at a point-per-game pace, registering nine goals and six helpers, including four power-play points. If Bennett can't play Thursday, look for Jesper Boqvist to remain in a top-six role.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Lights lamp Saturday
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Bennett scored a goal on two shots in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over the Flyers.
Bennett has stayed consistent into November, earning a goal, two assists and nine shots on net over his last four games. The 28-year-old forward continues to center the second line, though his ice time has decreased since the Panthers returned to full health up front last week. Bennett has nine goal, six helpers, 47 shots on net, 32 hits and 16 PIM over 15 appearances.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Hands out helper
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Bennett notched an assist, three shots on goal and two PIM in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Predators.
Bennett saw a six-game point streak end Saturday in Finland versus the Stars, but he bounced back with a helper once the Panthers resumed their schedule stateside. The 28-year-old center is is up to eight goals, six assists, 45 shots on net, 31 hits, 16 PIM and 11 blocked shots over 14 contests. Bennett has never earned a 50-point campaign, but he looks motivated to have a career year as he plays for a new contract.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Lights lamp in fifth straight
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Bennett produced a power-play goal and an even-strength assist in Monday's 5-2 win over the Sabres.
The 28-year-old found the back of the net for the fifth straight game and the eighth time in 11 outings this season. Bennett appears locked into a spot in Florida's top six, and he's flying toward a career-best campaign with 12 points already, a pace that would shatter the mark of 49 points (28 goals, 21 assists) he amassed over 71 regular-season games in 2021-22.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Extends scoring streak Saturday
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Bennett notched a goal, two penalty minutes, five hits and a blocked shot in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Islanders.
Bennett has been getting the job done on both sides of the puck of late, scoring in four consecutive contests but also racking up six penalty minutes, 14 shots, 13 hits and three blocked shots in that span. The 28-year-old center has been one of the most consistent players for the Panthers this season after cracking the scoresheet in eight of his 10 appearances this season, tallying seven goals and three assists to go along with 29 hits.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Goals in three straight games
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Bennett scored a goal on three shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Rangers.
Bennett has three goals and four points over his last three games. The center is tied for fourth in goals early in the season with six over nine contests, and he's added three assists, 33 shots on net, 24 hits, eight PIM and a minus-1 rating. Bennett will see a reduced role once Aleksander Barkov (lower body) returns, but he remains an important part of the Panthers' offense.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Nets lone goal in loss
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Bennett scored a goal on four shots, added four PIM and levied four hits in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Wild.
Bennett broke up Filip Gustavsson's shutout bid with a second-period tally, but that was all Florida could manage. The 28-year-old Bennett has been money early in the season with five goals and three assists over eight contests. He's also logged at least one shot on goal and one hit in each game, for a total of 30 shots and 23 hits. His role will decrease once Aleksander Barkov (lower body) returns, but contract-year Bennett looks to be good news for fantasy managers.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Two-point performance in OT win
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Bennett scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Golden Knights. He also recorded five shots, three hits and a plus-1 rating.
The 28-year-old banged home his fourth goal of the season early in the second period, then helped set up Gustav Forsling for the winner with just 17 seconds left in OT. Bennett has had a strong start to the season for a Panthers squad currently missing Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and Matthew Tkachuk (illness), piling up seven points in the first seven games.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Puts six shots on net
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Bennett recorded a team-high six shots in a 4-3 victory over Boston on Monday but failed to find the back of the net.
Despite not scoring, Bennett put together a strong display with his six shots while moving into a first-line role due to the absence of Aleksander Barkov (lower body). Considering the 28-year-old Bennett recorded three goals through the opening three games of the 2024-25 campaign, fantasy managers probably shouldn't be too concerned that Bennett is cooling off.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Pots PP tally in loss
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Bennett scored a power-play goal on three shots with one hit and a minus-3 rating in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Sabres.
With Matthew Tkachuk (illness) and Aleksander Barkov (lower body) both sidelined, the Panthers' offense struggled as a whole, but Bennett extended his season-opening point streak to three games with a second-period tally. Barkov's injury moved Bennett up to the top power-play unit, improving his odds of staying productive through the rest of October.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Lights lamp twice in win
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Bennett scored two goals in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Bruins.
The 28-year-old potted the first goal of the season for Florida, tapping a loose puck past Joonas Korpisalo just 6:27 into the first period. Bennett then struck again in the first frame, chipping a rebound off the post inside the final minute. He's been a steady contributor during his three full seasons with the Panthers, producing between 40 and 49 points in each campaign and recording a career-high 100 PIM and 173 hits in 2023-24, and he had a strong all-around performance Tuesday with four shots, two blocked shots, two hits, two PIM and a plus-3 rating on his ledger.
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Panthers' Sam Bennett: Tallies in win
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Bennett scored a goal on two shots, doled out three hits, added two PIM and went minus-2 in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Oilers in Game 3.
Bennett has four goals and three assists during his six-game point streak. The 27-year-old center hadn't taken a minus rating in any of the previous five games, though he was caught on the ice a few times as the Oilers attempted a comeback in the third period of this one. Bennett has done well in a second-line role this postseason with 13 points, 32 shots on net, 73 hits and a plus-3 rating over 15 appearances.
