They don’t call it the Battle of Florida just because the Panthers and Lightning come from the same state. They called it a battle because sparks fly more often than not when these two divisional rivals face off in the playoffs. After losing 6-2 against the Panthers and being unable to equalize in Game 2, it was only a matter of time before Tampa got scrappy. Unfortunately for the Panthers, captain Aleksander Barkov was on the receiving end.
Although Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel had to take a five-minute penalty for his massive hit on Barkov, it shook the entire Panthers team to their foundation. So much so that even seasoned NHL star Sam Bennett thought it was hard to watch. “Yeah, it’s tough to see. Any time your best player goes down like that, it’s obviously tough to lose him,” the upset and angry goalscorer admitted in a post-game interview.
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The post Florida’s Sam Bennett Turns Red as He Talks About Captain Aleksander Barkov’s Exit: “It’s Tough” appeared first on EssentiallySports.