Bennett: Panthers' hatred for Lightning grows every game
Sam Bennett's distaste for the Tampa Bay Lightning grows by the day, and he wasn't afraid to express that after his Florida Panthers took a 2-0 series lead over their in-state rivals Thursday.
"Two teams that have played each other a lot in the playoffs, and that rivalry is just growing and growing," Bennett told Panthers team reporter Katie Engleson postgame. "We just hate them more and more every time we play them, so it makes for good hockey."
This is the fourth postseason series between the Panthers and Lightning in the past five years. Tampa Bay won the first two, but Florida prevailed in the first round last season en route to winning the Stanley Cup.
The rivalry could turn up a notch further when the series resumes Saturday, as Brandon Hagel was given a major penalty for leveling Aleksander Barkov away from the puck.
"It's tough to see," Bennett said. "Any time your best player goes down like that, it's tough to lose him. He does everything for this squad. We care about him a lot. He's a tough guy, so I'm sure he'll be fine."
The Panthers didn't give an update on Barkov after the game, and it hasn't been announced if Hagel will receive supplemental discipline.
Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.