Atlantic Division forward earns a multi-game suspension on Sunday after violent head shot
Some Atlantic Division news to announce on Sunday has Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett earning himself a 3-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Montreal Canadiens forward Cedric Paquette.
The play occurred early on in the first period of Saturday's Panthers/Habs game, when Paquette picked up a loose puck in front of the Habs' net and looked to move it up the ice to break out of the defensive zone.
Despite Paquette having already played the puck up the ice, Bennett remained committed to the hit and, instead of lining the Habs pivot up shoulder to shoulder, the Panthers winger connected hard with Paquette's head, knocking him out of the game.
Bennett is known for playing a bit of a hard-nosed game, but there is a vast difference between playing with an edge and delivering predatory hits.
Since the head was the main point of contact, the decision was an easy one for the Department of Player Safety.
Bennett will not be eligible to suit up for the Panthers again until January 11th when the club plays host to the Vancouver Canucks in Sunrise, Florida.
