The Florida Panthers’ nightmare stretch continues to get worse.
They dropped their fourth straight game Monday night, falling 5-3 to the Buffalo Sabres on home ice. But the loss might not even be the worst news of the night.
Star center Sam Bennett left the game with an upper-body injury after playing just five minutes in the first period. He didn’t return.
The Panthers’ locker room is starting to look more like a hospital ward. Bennett joins a growing list of injured players that includes Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand, and several others who are watching games from the press box instead of the bench.
Matthew Tkachuk didn’t hold back after the game.
"It’s wild. Some of the guys in right now, I’m seeing them work their absolute a– off, grind, and play through stuff," Tkachuk told reporters. "But we are in trouble right now."
He should know. Tkachuk himself just returned to action on January 19th after missing a big chunk of the season.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Florida. They’ve got two more games before the Olympic break, including a tough matchup with the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.
No word yet on whether Bennett will be available for either of those games. But with eight players already sidelined – including key pieces like Seth Jones, Dmitry Kulikov, and Anton Lundell – the Panthers’ depth is being tested like never before.
For a team that’s been struggling to find its footing, these injuries might be the last thing they needed.
