Paul Maurice on Sam Bennett: ‘I’m getting the optimism that he’ll return soon’

Bennett last played during a 5-2 win at Detroit on March 20

Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett is continuing to show progress as he works his way back from injury.

On Tuesday, Bennett skated for the fourth day in a row.

Saturday he had a light skate at the Ice Den before ramping things up a bit on Sunday, this time while in full hockey gear.

Monday he was on the ice again in Boston, slowly but surely ramping up his workload as he continues to test an apparent lower-body injury he reaggravated on March 20 in Detroit.

Still, the ongoing workouts, with no hiccups, have been a good sign.

“We’ve had some setbacks in the past,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said Tuesday.

If Bennett continues on this road to recovery, his addition to Florida’s lineup would be a big boost during what should prove to be a physically challenging series with the Bruins.

Back in March, with Bennett in the lineup and the team as close to full strength as they’d been all year, the Panthers looked at their best while reeling off a 6-0-1 stretch that shot them back into the playoff race.

It took Florida a hot second to get back on track after Bennett went down, but make no mistake, getting him back on the ice would legitimately increase the Cats’ chances at making this series a long one.

On Tuesday, Maurice conveyed some confidence that his number two center could return in the not-too-distant future.

“I'm getting the optimism that he'll return soon,” Maurice said.

As long as the status quo remains the same and Bennett continues to feel fine after his workouts, things could get interesting in the coming days.

Maurice has said recently that he’d want to get Bennett a full practice with his teammates before thinking about dressing him for a game.

Florida and Boston play Game 2 on Wednesday night before the series shifts to Sunrise for Game 3 on Friday.

How good Bennett feels in the coming hours and days could end up having a major impact on the series.

“We’ll get him off the ice and see how he is tomorrow, and then we’ll start making decisions,” Maurice said.