Stop Me If You've Heard This One, But Sam Bennett Is At The Center Of Another Playoff Controversy

No, we're not running a story from last season; it's just that once again, the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is kicking off with controversy involving Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett.

Last season, Bennett was under fire for a cheap shot that sidelined then-Bruins captain and current Panther Brad Marchand, but this time around, the situation is a lot more complicated.

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In Monday night's Game 1 between the Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs, the Leafs built up a 4-1 lead, but in the middle of the second period, they were dealt a serious blow when netminder Anthony Stolarz was hit in the head by a forearm from Bennett.

There was no penalty on the play, though, I think there's certainly a case for a minor.

But things really got scary a little bit after that play when Stolarz went over the Leafs' bench and threw up before leaving the game.

Stolarz — who was replaced by Joseph Woll — reportedly needed to be taken to a nearby hospital on a stretcher.

But here's where things get a little different: while much of the focus was on Bennett, it was actually the second blow to the head that Stolarz received Monday.

The first came just a few minutes into the game when a shot from Florida's Sam Reinhart hit Stolarz square in the mask.

This led to some debate about whether Stolarz's injury occurred from the contact with Bennett — who reached out to Stolarz, a former Panthers backup, after the game — or the shot from Reinhart.

It's neither here nor there as far as Stolarz's health goes, and hopefully, he's alright.

However, there's still the matter of whether or not Bennett will receive supplemental discipline from the NHL for the incident, and right now, it's being reported that he likely will not.

Keep an eye on this series because it's about to get intense, even more so than it already was.

The Panthers stormed back and nearly forced overtime, falling short by a score of 5-4, with the Leafs taking a 1-0 series lead.