When to expect Sam Bennett back, lineup changes and other Panthers-Canucks pregame notes
Panthers coach Paul Maurice indicated Saturday the Panthers would get center Sam Bennett back for the Seattle game on Oct. 28.
Asked Saturday morning about the status of Bennett, who has been out with a left foot injury suffered during an Oct. 5 preseason game, Maurice said, “I think he’s not that far off now. He might be knocking on the door for (Tuesday’s game against) San Jose. But, we’ve got a three-day bloc after that, if nothing changes...”
Bennett’s five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 20 playoff games last spring and 0.64 career points per playoff game vs. 0.44 career points per regular season game indicates he fits playoff hockey’s greater emphasis on grinding, physical play. It also references what the Panthers lose when he’s out of the lineup.
“I still would like to see a bit more physicality at the right time by our team,” Maurice said. “But, it’s a funny thing — you take one player out, Sam Bennett, who’s going to get you two or three hits a night, it changes how you feel about your game.”
The Panthers kept the same lineup as they had with Thursday’s win against Toronto, including Sergei Bobrovsky in goal.
Times shorthanded and shrinking ice time
In each of the Panthers wins, they found themselves shorthanded five times. When that happens, Maurice said, expect some Panthers forward’s ice time to shrink. The last two games, that forward has been center Steve Lorenz, 6:31 against New Jersey and 5:37 against Toronto.
“We got into some penalties and I like (Eatu) Luostarinen and (Kevin) Stenlund as a pair,” Maurice explained. “The third (penalty killing forward) grouping ended up being (Ryan) Lomberg and (Anton) Lundell. We’re trying to get Ryan that opportunity to develop himself into a penalty killer. We know Lundell can. He’s always gone with Barkov. It’s time for him to step up and take a more senior pairing. Steve is waiting in the wings for the opportunity.
“Same thing happened to Nick Cousins (against Winnipeg). If we get into a bigger penalty killing game, there’s going to be one forward who’s going to suffer.”
Why cancer awareness games mean more to one Panthers forward
As some Panthers went through an optional morning skate inside Amerant Bank Arena Saturday morning, about 15,000 people participated in an American Cancer Society fundraising walk in the surrounding parking lots and roads. Such events and games in which cancer awareness is a focus mean more than performative pink to Panthers left wing Ryan Lomberg.
“My mom battled with breast cancer a couple of times. Thankfully, she won both battles,” Lomberg said. “You think about if it didn’t go the way it did how my life would’ve changed.”
Canucks lineup changes
After opening the season sweeping a home-and-home set against Edmonton, Vancouver lost to Philadelphia and Tampa Bay. Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet left J.T. Miller’s line the same, juggled his three other lines and inserted right wing Ilya Mikheyev for Mikheyev’s first action since January knee surgery.
“He’s going to help (center Elias Pettersson). I think we’ve got to get a guy in there who can win some puck battles for us and get the puck to Petey. When you have a player like him, the more touches he has on his stick, the more good things are going to happen.”
“But, I’ve to to manage the minutes. I’ve got to be careful. I don’t think it’s prudent for him to be playing a ton (Saturday) with Petey. so I might throw some guys in there to relieve Mik.”
Tocchet also thought Mikheyev might help left wing Anton Kuzmenko, who had a goal and an assist in the first four games.
“I think he’s struggling,” Tocchet said. “I think he’s confused on certain things. The biggest thing is if he moves his feet and stays close to his teammates, he’ll get out of this funk. It’s a fickle game. You’ve got to work hard and you’ve got to be close.
“Petey talks to him all the time about it — ‘Stay close to me,’” Tochhet said. “I’ve read the game plan. Teams are going to double up on Petey. If you’re too far away from Petey, he’s only human, he needs help.”
Left wing Nils Hoglander, center Teddy Blueger and defenseman Noah Juulsen were scratched. Casey DeSmith started in goal.
This story was originally published October 21, 2023 at 2:47 PM.
