The Edmonton Oilers scored first in game 5 to take the life out of the Panthers arena, and Sam Bennett may have been may have been trying to spark some life with a brutal hit on Dylan Holloway.
In the offence zone, Bennett eyed Holloway with his back turned on the boards from across the ice, and sped up to get into the zone for a hard hit from behind. Somehow, it wasn't called a penalty.
It was a brutal hit from Bennett, and hoenstly could have earned him a few different penalties like charging or boarding at least. Thankfully Holloway didn't seems overly shaken up and was able to make the play, but then he took another massive hit from another Panthers player. Still, Holloway was able to stay in the game.
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It's yet another dirty hit with seeming intent to injure from Sam Bennett, a player who's becoming known as one of the biggest villains in the NHL. Without the constant missed penalty calls on Bennett, he'd be an absolutely liability the way he plays his game right now. Plenty of hockey fans and media took to social media to criticize the hit and Sam Bennett.
If the Oilers are going to make a historic series comeback on the biggest stage, they'll need to stick to their game and try to stay out of the mud with the Panthers. The Oilers can succeed playing with elite offence or defence, but if it turns into a physical battle, the Panthers will come out on top. Still, it's clear there's belief in the Oilers that they can pull off history.
