Being a road team has been in Florida’s whole shtick in the playoffs. From dominating at the Amalie Arena to sending the Leafs packing right at the Scotiabank Arena, the little thing known as home ice advantage has barely factored into the Florida Panthers’ plans. And now in the Conference Final, the Panthers have once again been dominant on the road, winning both their games at the Lenovo Centre decisively by margins of 2-5 and 0-5. Does home ice even matter anyway? According to Paul Maurice, “There’s a huge advantage to the home team on the emotional. I don’t think that the road team participates in that.” Now with the series finally heading to Florida, the Panthers can finally benefit from that, though according to Sam Bennett, a different type of challenge awaits.

Bennett, who’s scored two goals and an assist against the Canes so far, has gained a lot of attention from team members and the coach. “Oh, I didn’t even notice. He always plays well. He’s a one-of-a-kind player,” the Panthers captain, Aleksander Barkov.

However, the real challenge comes now. With the Panthers gearing up for their next big face-off at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on Saturday, Sam Bennett opened up about the energy of the home crowd. Could that be a game-changer? Well, here is what the forward had to say: “We know they’re going to play desperate. This is a big game where you’ve got to put it all on the line. We know what it feels like. We’re definitely prepared,” he said as per Jameson Olive on X.

Game 3 could be where the series is won or lost. Will the Canes stick their foot in the door or will the Panthers consolidate their lead further? It comes down to whether Carolina can start well and tighten up the sloppy defensive zone exits that allowed Florida’s relentless forecheck to force turnovers and build quick leads. As Rod Brind’Amour pointed out, “You’re going to have a tough time getting back into it. That’s a big concern, obviously. The first couple shifts of the game, we weren’t doing anything we needed to do. But it’s old news now. We’ve got to turn the page.”

Will the Panthers allow them to do it on their home turf? With Sam Reinhart being out of the play due to a lower-body injury, Maurice still believes they can make it. “It’s a player that touches all parts of your game, a critical part of our power play, Barkov and Reinhart are elite at penalty killing, and he draws the heavy fire and pulls the best set of (defensemen) from the other team. So, it’s a significant player out of our lineup, for sure, and we have gone through other significant (players missing games). Barkov and Bennett and Ekblad have all missed important times in the playoffs, so you have to be able to survive it,” Maurice said.

Is Sam Bennett nearing the end of his contract with the Panthers?

While many might be assuming winning the Stanley Cup for the second time in a row is possible for Florida, a big reason behind the Panthers’ success so far has always been Sam Bennett. “I never felt so comfortable in my life playing hockey,” Bennett said after a trial run with the Panthers. And ever since his joining in 2021, he has played a crucial role in helping the team succeed in this year’s playoffs.

However, uncertainty looms now as Bennett’s future with the team is coming to an end. Is it going to be his last season with the Panthers? Although Bennett had started talking to the team about renewing his contract, it’s unclear whether they’ll be able to afford to keep him or not. Because NHL insiders assume that other teams would be very interested in signing this tough player when he becomes a free agent in July. After all, it’s Bennett and who wouldn’t be trying hard to acquire him?

But let’s not focus on that yet. With Game 3 just hours away, will Sam Bennett with his Panthers be able to lead the series again, or will the Canes mount the comeback they couldn’t in 2023? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.