Panthers' Bennett: Nastiness sometimes 'necessary'

The Panthers have drawn the ire of opposing fan bases thanks to their snarly, physical style of play, but forward Sam Bennett said Florida isn't here to make friends.

"I think there's definitely a lot of people that don't like the way I play," he said Tuesday during an appearance on "First Up with Korolnek & Colaiacovo," adding, "I think it goes for a lot of guys on our team, actually. It's kind of part of what makes us successful, I think. We have so many guys that are willing to do whatever it takes to win.

"It can be hard, it can be nasty at times, but sometimes it's necessary. ... We have a lot of guys that have bought into that. It's showed (in) how much success we've had over the last two years."

The Panthers led all teams with 1,035 hits this past playoffs - 286 clear of the Edmonton Oilers in second place - and ranked fifth in hits per 60 minutes (42.42). That also contributed to Florida's 11:42 penalty minutes per game, which was the second-most among all squads to make it past the first round.

Just like the postseason before, the Panthers got under their opponents' skin on a number of occasions. New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider risked getting ejected when he threw Matthew Tkachuk's mouthguard during a particularly tense moment in the Eastern Conference Final.

Bennett himself was the subject of the Boston Bruins' rage after he collided with Brad Marchand in the second round, causing the captain to miss two games. Head coach Jim Montgomery insinuated intention on Bennett's part, saying he "knew what he was doing," while forward Trent Frederic conceded that "the whole team ticks everyone off."

Before the Stanley Cup Final, Tkachuk argued that the Panthers had actually cleaned up their act.

"There's nothing after the whistle," he said. "There's no nonsense or chirping or really anything that's not just playing hard. So that's probably a big difference from last year. This year, we're super disciplined."

Florida did cut down on its parade to the penalty box during its second straight run to the final. During the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Cardiac Cats were averaging around 18 penalty minutes per game.

Bennett was at the center of one of the Panthers' most controversial moments one year ago. He slammed Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Matthew Knies onto the ice during the second round and avoided being penalized. Knies sustained a concussion from the hit.

Bennett said the incident hasn't made him a popular guy in his Toronto-area hometown Etobicoke.

"Since I'm here all summer, I walk by fans, (they) see me all the time," he said. "They actually always have something to say. They hate me, but they always end with, 'I want you to be a Leaf one day.'"

Bennett can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

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