Bennett has not played in two weeks while Bobrovsky has missed Florida last three games
The Florida Panthers have been playing a crucial stretch of games as they try to obtain one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
Currently riding a three-game winning streak, Florida has had to do it without a pair of key contributors.
Sam Bennet has not played in nearly two weeks, leaving Florida’s win on March 20 in Detroit during the third period with an undisclosed injury.
Sergei Bobrovsky came down with a non-COVID illness last week and hasn’t been able to play since the Panthers most recent loss, which was seven days ago in Ottawa.
On Monday we learned Florida will not be getting either player back in the lineup for Tuesday’s game against Buffalo, at least.
Bennett has not been seen on the ice since before the Canadian road trip, and head coach Paul Maurice has reiterated over the past several days that Bennett will need to get in a practice or two before he’s ready to return to a game.
As of now, the plan is for Bennett to skate on Tuesday morning and go from there.
“We’ll get him on the ice tomorrow, we’ll see how he recovers from that ice session the next day,” Maurice said. “If he feels good, he’ll get into a heavier (workload).”
Asked about a potential timeline for Bennett to return, Maurice said, “There’s a chance toward the end of the week.”
Things would have to go well over the next couple days for that to happen.
In terms of the injury itself, Maurice has not said whether its upper or lower body, only that its undisclosed, but he has provided several clues about what it could be.
He has said it’s something Bennet has dealt with before and it’s a soft tissue injury. That sure sounds like the groin injury he dealt with earlier this season.
Watching him skate last week at FLA Live Arena, it was clear he wasn’t pushing himself too hard, taking very deliberate strides when he moved while appearing to test things out.
“That's a tough injury that heals it's at its own rate,” Maurice said. “There's not a lot of room on it. It just has to get better. You can't play as an NHL hockey player with it.”
Maurice did finish his thoughts on Bennett with a bit of a positive outlook.
“It's healing,” he said. “We think we’ve got forward motion, and he's just got to get through those hoops.”
The news on Bobrovsky is about the same in the short-term, though he could be back in the starters cage by Thursday.
Bob is just sick, plain and simple.
He’s been able to do some off ice work, but for him the name of the game is simply letting his body flush out whatever has been ailing him.
Maurice said there is a chance Bobrovsky dresses and backs up Alex Lyon on Tuesday against Buffalo, depending how the next 24 hours go for him.
“He's just sick, and he's getting better, but we wouldn't put him in the lineup unless he was sure he could get into a game and get through it,” Maurice said. “That one is hour-to-hour. We’ll check on him tonight and we'll see how he feels tomorrow when he comes in.”
Between Bobrovsky and Bennett, there is a chance Florida’s roster could be back at full strength potentially by the weekend.
As it stands, the Panthers have won three straight games and find themselves right in the thick of the Wild Card chase.
Bennett’s return will be big for Florida’s forward ranks and the depth that comes with having a full arsenal of high-end players.
With Bobrovsky, it could be a little trickier.
He had been struggling in the games leading up to his illness, giving up 13 goals over his last three starts, all losses.
Alex Lyon, meanwhile, has won each of the three games Bob has missed over the past week and looked good in the process.
Another strong start by Lyon on Tuesday and perhaps there could be some hesitation to take him out of the net.
“He’s played well,” Maurice said Monday. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in him.”
Florida hosts Buffalo and Ottawa on Tuesday and Thursday before playing their final road game of the season Saturday in Washington D.C.