The Florida Panthers forward found himself at the center of it again during Game 1 of the second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Midway through the second period, while Florida was on the power play, Bennett delivered an elbow to the head of Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz as he skated through the crease.

The Toronto Maple Leafs took Game 1 of their second-round series against the Florida Panthers. Although it was a high-scoring affair that ended in a 5-4 win for the Leafs, most of the talk between Game 1 and Game 2 has centered on Sam Bennett’s elbow to the head of Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz.

Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with center Carter Verhaeghe (23) and center Aleksander Barkov (16) during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)