“Just a hard hockey play”: Mark Messier defends Sam Bennett after controversial collision with Brad Marchand

Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett’s hit on Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand has drawn mixed reactions throughout the league. However, one of the most interesting reactions came from NHL Hall of Famer Mark Messier.

On a recent appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show," Messier defended Sam Bennett’s hit on Marchand, stating:

"Just a hard hockey play."

Messier’s remarks contrast with comments around the league, calling for Sam Bennett to be suspended for the hit. From Messier’s perspective, the Sam Bennett incident was just a part of playoff hockey. He would go on to add:

"I don’t think Bennett personally did it on purpose. I thought it was an unfortunate incident that Marchand took the brunt of it and put him out of the game."

Marchand left game 3 and did not play in game 4. The Bruins dropped the contest 3-2, giving the Panthers a 3-1 series lead.

Meanwhile, Messier offered these comments about Sam Bennett’s role in the Panther’s lineup:

"I think Bennet is one of the most underrated players on the Panthers. You think about two years ago, when he was injured, the Panthers barely made the playoffs. He came back, and they went on a run to the Stanley Cup Finals."

This year, the Panthers hope that Messier’s words turn prophetic. With Bennett at full strength, the club wants not only to return to the Cup Finals but capture the team’s first championship.

But first, they’ll need to get past Boston and face either the New York Rangers or Carolina Hurricanes.

Sam Bennett defends rough hit on Marchand

Bennett’s hit has been labeled as dirty. But not according to Bennett. He was quoted on Boston.com as stating:

"On that play, obviously, I’m not trying to punch him in the head like everyone’s saying."

The words following game 4 stated his defense of the hit.

"Other people can have different opinions," Bennett added. "I’m just bracing myself for him coming to hit me. There’s no way I would have had time to think about punching him in the head. People can see it however they want."

Bennett’s words underscore his appreciation of the situation. He concluded:

"It’s playoff hockey. There are going to be hard plays. Obviously, it’s unfortunate he got hit, but that’s just a hockey play in my mind."

Bennett’s performance has driven Bruins fans over the edge as he scored the game-tying, powerplay goal in game four. The goal tied the game at two before Panthers captain Sasha Barkov scored a nifty goal to seal the victory.

Marchand remains questionable for game 5. It’s likely the Bruins will make a game-time announcement right before the start. Marchand is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.