At a time when the stakes are high in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the players are giving it their all to win. The case of Sam Bennett is no different. Yesterday, the Panthers star gave his all but his team succumbed to a narrow defeat in Game 1, 4-5, against the Maple Leafs. It was a pulsating encounter and fans could hardly take their eyes away from it. Further, a controversial moment also took place in the game as the Panthers’ Sam Bennett controversially hit Anthony Stolarz (elbow-to-the-head) of the Maple Leafs. Hours after the game, Bennett can catch a sigh of relief as he is probably set to escape a harsh punishment (though the league has not yet issued a final ruling).

ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan revealed through a tweet that Bennett won’t likely be receiving any supplemental punishment for his contact with Stolarz in Game 1 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This comes as a huge boost to Bennett and the Panthers, who are looking to make a comeback after the heartbreaking loss.

Bennett was aggressive right throughout the game, and Stolarz took multiple hits on his head in the first two periods. Subsequently, he also took the puck on his mask, and Bennett hit him in the head with his elbow, which shook Stolarz, and he fell down on the ice. As a result of this blow, Stolarz vomited on the bench and was later taken to the hospital in an ambulance for an evaluation.

Meanwhile, Bennett escaped any punishment during the game and is likely to get away with it after the game. Nonetheless, the Maple Leafs coach, Craig Berube, felt that it was a penalty and blamed the referees for not penalizing Bennett. Amid this controversy, both the team’s coaches had contrasting views on this incident.

Berube and Maurice offer contrasting perspectives on Sam Bennett’s elbow

The hit on Anthony Stolarz by Sam Bennett became the talking point after the game, and many argued whether the latter should have been awarded a penalty. Among them was the Maple Leafs coach, Berube, who was put off by the referees’ decision to let off Bennett. After the game, he called out the referees for missing out on a huge decision.

He exclaimed, “Elbow to the head … Clear as day. I’m not sure why there’s not a call on it. I get it. They miss calls. But it’s clearly a penalty.” On the other hand, the Panthers’ coach, Paul Maurice, had contrasting views, as he felt that the referees had a clear sight of the incident and they made the right call after viewing it. He went on to say, “The referee is standing right there when it happened. And then you’ll do your thing, and the league will do its thing and I’ll coach the next game — hopefully.”

With Bennett likely escaping any punishment by the NHL for his actions, he would look to shift his focus back onto the ice and gear up for the upcoming game. Can he lead the Panthers’ revival in the games to come? Let us know your views in the comments below.