Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube's strong response to NHL's decision on Sam Bennett's elbow in Game 1 vs Panthers

The Toronto Maple Leafs emerged victorious in a high-scoring 5-4 win against the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of their second-round series. While the thrilling match was filled with action, much of the attention after the game has centered around an incident involving Sam Bennett and Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz.

Bennett delivered an elbow to Stolarz’s head, causing the netminder to leave the game midway through the second period. Despite the severity of the hit, the NHL opted not to impose any disciplinary action on Bennett, a decision that has sparked discussions among fans and analysts.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube did not mince words when addressing the play after the game. He called the incident “an elbow to the head” and remarked that “it’s clearly a penalty.”

Berube’s response

However, when asked again on Tuesday about the NHL’s ruling not to suspend or discipline Bennett, Berube chose to move forward, stating that he had “moved on from it” and no longer wished to discuss the issue. “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s over,” he added, via TSN’s Mark Manster.

Maurice takes a lighthearted approach

Meanwhile, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice addressed the incident with a touch of humor at his Tuesday press conference. “Honestly, I’ve seen every hit Sam Bennett’s thrown since he was 12 years old on TV this morning,” Maurice said.

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“We’re six games into the playoffs, and now he’s a villain after taking a puck outside the crease.” Maurice also pointed out, “There were far more egregious collisions in that game last night, but we won’t be talking about those.”