Team Canada currently enters the semifinals with two big question marks. Will Sam Bennett and Sidney Crosby be available against Finland?
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett missed Team Canada’s quarterfinal matchup against Czechia on Wednesday due to an illness.
Before it was revealed that he missed the game due to an illness, the belief was that coach Jon Cooper was healthy-scratching Bennett. The decision seemed odd as Bennett had played in all three games prior to the quarterfinals. The new information explains why things played out as they did.
Canada narrowly snuck by Czechia, as they had to score a late equalizer and then an overtime winner to prevail. Now they enter the semifinals with a date against Finland.
Two questions surround Canada at the moment.
Will Bennett play, and will Sidney Crosby play?
Crosby left Wednesday’s game with a gruesome-looking leg injury. Cooper has yet to confirm whether he’ll play again in the tournament, but Crosby will attempt to skate in the morning, although he remains unlikely to play.
If Crosby is out, Canada’s roster will change dramatically, and they’ll need Bennett to re-enter the lineup. They’ll need Bennett as center depth, but also to be a difference maker.
Against Czechia, Canada desperately needed depth scoring, and Bennett proved at the 4 Nations Face-Off last year that he can do just that.
The hope is that Canada will have both Bennett and Crosby available, but at the very least, they’ll need one of their left-handed centers to suit up.
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