NOTEBOOK: Bennett, Samoskevich stay hot; Bobrovsky’s latest milestone

TORONTO – To steal a line from Forrest Gump, they “go together like peas and carrots.”

Finding instant chemistry after coming together on the second line for the Florida Panthers, Sam Bennett and Mackie Samoskevich continue to pile up points as the playoffs approach.

During Thursday’s 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, Bennett scored a pair of goals on the power play, with Samoskevich logging an assist on each of them.

“The more we play together, the more we’re going to find that chemistry,” Bennett said after the win, which increased Florida’s lead over Toronto by four points for first place in the Atlantic Division. “Just find little plays, get comfortable where each other and just read off each other a bit better. He’s a great player, and he’s going to be a great player in this league for a long time.”

With Matthew Tkachuk (lower body) likely out of action until the playoffs, the duo of Bennett and Samoskevich has picked up a lot of the slack since the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Helping the Panthers fly out of the break with a 7-2-0 record, Bennett has produced a team-leading nine points (four goals, five assists) over the course of those nine games, while Samoskevich is close behind with seven points (four goals, three assists).

Samoskevich is also tied for first with five points on the power play in that stretch.

“He’s got it in him,” head coach Paul Maurice said of Samoskevich’s growing prowess on the power play. “You saw it from Day 1 of development camp. He had it, and now he just has to spend enough time in the league that he can get on the power play and not defer.”

While Bennett is already an established NHL stud, Samoskevich’s quick ascension from prospect to integral player has been a boon for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Getting more and more comfortable in his new top-six role, the 22-year-old rookie ranks fourth on Florida in shots on goal (24) and fifth in scoring chances (26) since the break.

Of his 12 goals this season, five have come over the last 10 games.

“Stronger than I’d think you’d expect for a first-year player in terms of his development,” Maurice said of Samoskevich, who the Panthers selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. "Now, he’s on the power play and he’s just playing the game.”

Heading down the home stretch, keep an eye on both Bennett and Samoskevich.

BOB’S LATEST MILESTONE

Brick by brick, Sergei Bobrovsky continues to build an incredible career.

With 24 saves in Toronto, the 36-year-old veteran earned his 424th career win to break a tie with Tony Esposito (423) and claim sole possession of 10th place on the NHL’s all-time list.

“He just totally fits our team,” Maurice said. “He’s so calm in that net.”

Sitting at 28-14-2, Bobrovsky has picked up right where he left off after backstopping the Panthers to their first-ever Stanley Cup last season. Over his last 13 appearances, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has posted a 10-3-0 record with a stellar .935 save percentage.

“All the ingredients and pieces are there,” Bobrovsky said of this year’s squad.

Of Bobrovsky’s 424 career wins, 169 have come with the Panthers.

Prior to taking his talents to South Florida, he won 213 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets and 42 games with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Per NHL Stats, Bobrovsky is one of just five goaltenders to rank among the top two in wins for multiple franchises (Columbus and Florida).

MONTREAL BOUND

After splitting the first two games on their six-game road trip, the Panthers will face another tough test when they battle the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Saturday.

In the thick of the playoff hunt, the Canadiens currently sit just one point behind the Blue Jackets for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Catching fire at the right time, Montreal has gone 6-2-2 over its last 10 games.

One of three games left against the Canadiens for the Panthers this season, Montreal came out on top in their first matchup, earning a 4-0 win at Amerant Bank Arena back on Dec. 28.

“We’ve got a whole bunch of games against teams that are truly fighting for their lives,” Maurice said of the road ahead for the Panthers. “We know it. We’ve got a history of that from two years ago. We went four months with that life. Really good proving ground for these teams to have that kind schedule because every night’s going to be right.”