Breaking news: Sam Bennett Continues to Stir Up Trouble in the Bruins Series
Breaking news: Sam Bennett Continues to Stir Up Trouble in the Bruins Series
Fans of the Boston Bruins have a new public nemesis in Sam Bennett, who plays hockey for the Florida Panthers and has a goal of continuing to play “outside-the-lines” games.
After Bennett made headlines for injuring Bruins captain Brad Marchand and forcing him to miss Sunday’s game, none of that altered in Game 4.
This time, Bennett discovered a fresh method to infuriate Boston supporters: in the fourth game, he scored a highly contentious goal in the third quarter that leveled the score at 2-2 before Florida scored the game-winning goal later in the same period.
As the third period of Game 4 was drawing to a close, Bennett discovered a loose puck in front of the Bruins net. With minimal resistance, he fired it into an open net and witnessed the action unfold in real time.
Whether Charlie Coyle was on Swayman or not, I’m putting the puck in before he can get over there. In an interview with TNT following the game, Bennett stated, “I believe that’s the reason why it stood.”
Sam Bennett scored an illegal goal against the Bruins, did he not push Coyle?
After Bennett scored, there was some controversy because he shoved a Bruins player in the crease. Coyle collided with goalie Jeremy Swayman as a result of that cross-checking, which stopped the goalie from trying to make a save.
In order to create enough space in the crease for Coyle to shoot the puck into the net, Bennett is seen cross-checking him from behind in the play’s replay.
After Bennett shoved Coyle into him on the play, Swayman was unable to advance toward him. On May 12, after the game, he spoke with the media and gave an explanation of why the goal shouldn’t have been permitted upon review.
When questioned about the contentious goal, Swayman responded, “The fact is that my own player (Coyle) was pushed into me by theirs (Bennett), and I couldn’t play my position,” according to Bruins Daily.
Following Bennett’s score, head coach of the Boston Bruins Jim Montgomery made an open statement about what the referees had revealed to him. At his postgame press conference on Sunday, May 12, he was questioned by reporters regarding the play and what the officials had told him.
Montgomery stated at his news conference, “The play (Bennett’s pushing of Coyle) didn’t interfere with the goal.” “I received that explanation.”
“If a defending player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by an attacking player so that the defending player comes into contact with his own goalkeeper, such contact shall be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, and if necessary a penalty assessed to the attacking player and if a goal is scored it would be disallowed,” states Rule 69.1 of the NHL rulebook (via The Associated Press).
Whoever officiated the game gave permission for Bennett’s goal, which enabled Florida to rally from behind and win. Boston has scored both of its goals in the first quarter to take a 2-0 lead early in Game 4.
Bruins General Manager to Speak on Monday After Scandal
Although Bennett’s game-tying goal eluded coach Montgomery, further remarks are anticipated on Monday, May 13.
The team confirmed on Sunday night via Ty Anderson that Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney will speak to the media the day following the Game 4 defeat.
