The intensity of the Stanley Cup Final reached new heights as controversy erupted during Game 2 between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers. In a dramatic first-period moment, Panthers forward Sam Bennett found himself at the center of attention after a collision with Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner led to a hotly debated penalty call.

As the Panthers battle to overcome a series deficit, every decision is magnified, and Bennett’s goaltender interference penalty has quickly become a major talking point among fans and analysts alike. With emotions running high and the stakes even higher, the incident has sparked fierce debate about officiating consistency and player reputation.

While Bennett’s reaction revealed genuine surprise, the play has only added fuel to the fire in a series already filled with intensity and unpredictability. As the Cup Final continues, all eyes will be on Bennett—not just for his on-ice contributions, but also for how he handles the mounting pressure and scrutiny.

Photo credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images

Panthers forward Sam Bennett was admittedly shocked he received a goaltender interference call for bumping into Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner during Game 2.

While the Panthers are trying to fight back from a 1-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Finals, they seem to not be getting as many breaks as they would hope for two games into the series.

Already deadlocked at 2-2 in the first period, Panthers forward Sam Bennett ended up colliding with Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, leading to Florida receiving a penalty for goaltender interference.

Luckily, Skinner was okay afterwards but it could have led to a very similar incident to things we’ve seen involving Bennett in the past.

Though it looks like he was shoved into the net, and hit Skinner on accident, he still ended up with the infraction; something that didn’t really sit right with the forward.

During intermission he was asked his opinions on the call, and Bennett admitted he was pretty shocked by the whole situation.

Bennett may have a point here, and perhaps it’s the referee being aware of the entire Anthony Stolarz fiasco and decided that Bennett deserved some punishment.

Fans weren’t letting Bennett off the hook though, rightly calling out that he should be surprised but only for the fact that he actually got called this time for his actions.

Bennett was chastised for interfering in Game 1 to no call, leading to Carter Verhaeghe’s goal.

It’s also not the first time that Bennett has taken a run at Skinner either, as he went after him last year in the Cup Finals as well.

Bennett has been fantastic this postseason, registering 13 goals and six assists and is a key facet into why the Panthers are fighting yet again for the Cup.

He is a pending free agent, and with a lot of talk about where he might end up, if he can continue to change the game like he has been; penalties or not, he’s going to earn a lot this summer.

For now though, Bennett is going to focus on winning his second straight Cup; but he might have to be a bit more careful going forward.