‘He plays so big’: Panthers’ Sam Bennett makes big statement in return from injury

Sam Bennett had been waiting more than two weeks for this moment.

So when he stepped onto the ice Friday for Game 3 of the Florida Panthers’ second-round series against the Boston Bruins, he held nothing back.

“I want to go out there and play full speed,” said Bennett, who had missed the past five games with a hand/wrist injury. “That’s my game. I wasn’t going to dip my toe in tonight. I think that’s the only way to approach it.”

Bennett lived up to his own self-imposed hype in Florida’s 6-2 win over the Bruins at Boston’s TD Garden to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.

In his 12 minutes and 43 seconds on the ice in his first game since Game 2 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 23, Bennett tied for the game-high with seven hits — not including a collision with Boston’s Brad Marchand at neutral ice in the first period that ultimately knocked the Bruins’ captain out of the game — and dished out an assist on the first of Florida’s single-game playoff franchise record four power-play goals. The Panthers outshot the Bruins 7-1 when Bennett was on the ice.

“He’s just such a talented player and such a hard worker,” said star Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk, who plays on Bennett’s line. “He’s physical. He gets on the forecheck. He’s strong on pucks. We certainly missed him when he was out. When he comes in, he’s just such a huge boost to our team and to our locker room. Guys are jacked up to have him back. I thought he played awesome, had some big hits, made some great plays. He kind of touches every aspect of the game for us. He was just super, super good for us.”

And his gritty, do-it-all style thrives in the playoffs. The Panthers learned that first-hand last season, when he put up 15 points in 20 playoff games on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

He had a goal and an assist in the first period of that Game 2 against Tampa Bay before leaving with injury after a Brandon Montour slap shot hit him on the hand.

The Panthers held their own in his absence — they won their first-round series against the Lightning in five games and split their first two games against the Bruins — but all it did was make Bennett yearn to get back that much quicker.

“It’s torture,” Bennett said. “It’s tough to sit at home and and watch your teammates go to battle, but they’ve done a heck of a job and I’m just happy to be in a situation I am and happy to be able to come back.”

How Sam Bennett became an ‘identity player’ for the Florida Panthers

The feeling is mutual considering the different ways Bennett impacts Florida’s lineup.

The first is obvious: His style of play, as coach Paul Maurice describes it, is “maybe the prototypical kind of Florida Panther identity — the way we’re either viewed or the way way we like to play.” He’ll get under an opponent’s skin with a bone-chilling hit — he was second among Florida forwards with 173 of them in the regular season despite only playing in 69 games — but will also make the opposition pay with his skill on offense. Bennett was one of five Panthers players to score at least 20 goals in the regular season in addition to his

“He brings a lot of speed and physicality — all the kind of tangible things that you want as a player,” forward Carter Verhaeghe said. “He makes you pay if he gets an opportunity or if he gets a chance, he’ll catch you with your head down. It makes other teams more aware. He’s a phenomenal player.”

Added Tkachuk: “We’ve got guys that are physical, but I don’t think anybody is as physical as Benny. He’s not the biggest guy, but he plays so big. He definitely changes things.”

The second is how he lengthens the Panthers’ lineup and gives Maurice the freedom to best craft his forward lines.

Bennett, Tkachuk and Verhaeghe have been a near constant for the past two seasons. This year, it has allowed Maurice to pair Aleksander Barkov with Sam Reinhart and (after the trade deadline) Vladimir Tarasenko on the top line and let Anton Lundell thrive on the third line with Eetu Luostarinen and Evan Rodrigues.

“There’s lots of options for us,” Maurice said.

Having an assortment of options is the best-case scenario in the playoffs.

So, too, is having a guy like Bennett who embraces the challenge of competing in the postseason return at a critical moment.

“I love playoff hockey,” Bennett said. “It’s a little faster. It’s more physical. Every play is a little bit more important. You’re able to go out there and play with it all on the line because of how important the game is, and I love that opportunity.”

Florida Panthers retake home ice by force as 4 power-play goals beat Boston 6-2 in Game 3 | Opinion