NHL analyst delivers his opinion on Matthew Tkachuk appreciating Sam Bennett for collision with Oilers goalie

Matthew Tkachuk is no stranger to stirring up controversy, but his actions with Sam Bennett during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final raised some eyebrows.

Florida Panthers forward Bennett was positioned in front of the crease when Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm gave him a shove. Bennett fell into Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner. Bennett was assessed a penalty for interference.

Later, Tkachuk was seen enthusiastically tapping Bennett on the shoulder while he sat in the penalty box.

NHL analyst Kelly Hrudey disapproved, stating on the Sportsnet panel:

"Watch this, this is way over the top for me, way too many pats, take your stick, tap up on your shin pads once or twice, that's good, that was, you know what, that's not unsportsmanlike, that's karma."

Hrudey was referring to the fact that Edmonton capitalized shortly after the penalty, with a Leon Draisaitl goal assisted by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard.

Fellow analyst Kevin Bieksa shared his thoughts as well, saying:

"Like you said, he wanted everyone to see that, he wanted to say 'hey good job, you got a penalty,' but that's the way we play, whether or not it ends up hurting him, I don't believe in karma."

The Panthers lead 4-3 at the end of the second period. Bennett himself scored a goal, along with markers from Seth Jones, Dmitry Kulikov and Brad Marchand.

The Oilers also got goals from Evander Kane, Bouchard.

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Analysts react to Sam Bennett’s goalie interference call

The goalie interference penalty called against Sam Bennett has sparked divided reactions among hockey analysts. 'Scouting The Refs' weighed in, stating that it was intentional play by Sam Bennett:

"Sneaky play by Bennett. There’s a shove by Ekholm, sure, but Bennett absolutely steers himself into the goaltender. You can watch his right skate as he turns to ensure that instead of going across the top of the crease he goes right into the goalie."

They insinuated Bennett intentionally collided with Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner despite the push from behind.

However, analyst Pierre LeBrun offered an alternate viewpoint, writing:

"For sure Ekholm pushes Bennett, but Bennett's reputation around the crease is also something that refs around the league are aware of. Should that matter or not? Not sure it's called a penalty if it's not Bennett?"

The call divided opinion on whether it was the right decision or if Sam Bennett's reputation for crease crashes unfairly influenced the referees.