SAM BENNETT

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The Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes are among the contenders looking to get over the hump this year and win the Stanley Cup.

NHL Moves Hockey FILE - Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Blue Jackets during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Sunrise, Fla., in this Tuesday, April 20, 2021, file photo. Sam Bennett re-signed with the Florida Panthers on Monday, July 26, 2021, inking a four-year contract with the team that has been a good fit for him since joining at the trade deadline. Bennett put up six goals and nine assists for 15 points in 10 regular-season games with the Panthers after they acquired him from Calgary. Next up could be a new contract for forward Sam Reinhart, whom they got from Buffalo on Saturday. Walker got a two-year deal worth $750,000 annually when he's in the NHL.

The Florida Panthers have signed restricted free agent forward Sam Bennett to a $17.7 million, four-year contract.

Trade deadline acquisitions are already paying big dividends for teams that have advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs.

Panthers Lightning Hockey Florida Panthers right wing Patric Hornqvist (70) leads the team to congratulate the Tampa Bay Lightning after the Lightning defeated the Florida Panthers during Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Wednesday, May 26, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (Chris O'Meara)TAMPA, Fla. — (AP) — Andrei Vasilevskiy wrapped up a series with a Game 6 shutout for the second straight time, stopping 29 shots in the Tampa Bay Lightning's 4-0 victory over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night. Tampa Bay advanced to the second round for the fifth time in the past seven years. The Panthers have not won a playoff series since the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals. The roughing penalty led to Tampa Bay’s second power-play chance of the game and second goal.

Andrei Vasilevskiy wrapped up a series with a Game 6 shutout for the second straight time, stopping 29 shots in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 4-0 victory over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night.

... We kind of sat back a little bit too much I thought” in the third period," said Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, who had three assists. Anthony Cirelli, Ross Colton and Steven Stamkos scored in the first nine minutes of the second period. “Obviously not the second period we were looking for, but we know how good of a team we are. We were down 5-3 after that second period and we get the W,” Bobrovsky said. NICE TO BE HOMEThe Lightning played a playoff game at home for the first time since April 12, 2019, vs. Columbus.

Ryan Lomberg scored on a breakaway 5:56 into overtime to cap a furious comeback and give the Florida Panthers a 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of their first-round playoff matchup.

Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has stopped 63 of 65 shots from the Minnesota Wild over the first two games of their West Division playoff series.

Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 32 shots, Steven Stamkos and Ondrej Palat had first-period goals and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Central Division first-round playoff series.

The first-ever playoff game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers could be tough to top.

Brayden Point scored two late goals, including the game-winner with 1:14 left in the third period, to lift the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers 5-4 to take Game 1 of their playoff series.

Blue Jackets Panthers Hockey Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella shouts at an official after a fight between Columbus Blue Jackets' s Gavin Bayreuther and Florida Panthers' Sam Bennett during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 19, 2021, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Lynne Sladky)COLUMBUS, Ohio — (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets have mutually agreed to part ways with John Tortorella, the franchise’s winningest coach, following a six-year tenure, the team announced Sunday. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced the decision a day after the Blue Jackets (17-26-12) finished last in the Central Division, concluding their season with a 5-4 overtime win against Detroit. Tortorella led the Blue Jackets to four straight playoff appearances after the team qualified for the postseason just twice in its first 15 seasons. The Blue Jackets also won their first playoff series in team history with a four-game sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning in a 2019 first-round series. The Blue Jackets went 227-166-54 under Tortorella, including a team-best 50-24-8 finish in 2016-17.

All divisional play through the first two rounds of the playoffs made a major impact at the NHL trade deadline.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)PARIS – In a first, the Tour de France winner wore a face mask on the podium Sunday, bright yellow to match the color of the iconic jersey so snug on his young shoulders. “Really, I was scared we wouldn't get to the end,” race director Christian Prudhomme conceded at the finish. And against the virus that doesn't care how old or young its victims are, how hopeful it seemed that the Tour's winner should come from the same generation asking itself: What is life going to be like for us? In an astounding reversal, he dethroned race leader Primoz Roglic, his countryman who had held the yellow jersey for 11 days. “Even in September, the Tour de France is magic!” Macron tweeted Saturday after Pogacar's demolition of Roglic in the time trial.

Denmark's Soren Kragh Andersen crosses the finish line to win the 14th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 194 kilometers (120,5 miles) with start in Clermont-Ferrand and finish in Lyon, France, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)LYON – Soren Kragh Andersen broke clear in a fast-changing finish on the roads of Lyon to win Stage 14 of the Tour de France on Saturday. Primoz Roglic, the overall leader, had a drama-free day to finish safely and keep the yellow jersey he claimed last Sunday. After two sharp climbs and several attacks in the last 10 kilometers (six miles), Andersen broke away with three kilometres (two miles) left to finish 15 seconds ahead of the chasing pack. In a stellar Tour for Slovenia, Luka Mezgec took the sprint for second and Simon Consonni was third.

(Benoit Tessier/Pool via AP)LAVAUR The most furious day of racing so far at the Tour de France produced multiple winners Friday. Among them were Alexander Kristoff, the winner of Stage 1, and Caleb Ewan, who won Stage 3. In a mid-stage sprint and again later at the finish, Sagan picked up sufficient points to wrest back the jersey from Bennett. He also won Stage 5. ___More Tour de France coverage: https://apnews.com/TourdeFrance and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Australia's Caleb Ewan celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the third stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 198 kilometers (123 miles), with start in Nice and finish in Sisteron, southern France, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. (Benoit Tessier, Pool via AP)SISTERON Australian rider Caleb Ewan slalomed through the bunch to win a sprint finish and claim the third stage of the Tour de France on Monday. Julian Alaphilippe held onto the yellow jersey that he claimed with a dramatic stage victory a day earlier. With about 100 meters to go, Ewan trailed five other riders before slinging himself through a narrow slice of road near the advertising barriers, then darted to the left to overcome Sam Bennett and claim his fourth career stage win in the Tour. Ewan, who rides for the Lotto-Soudal team, won three stages last year, including the coveted final leg on the Champs-lyses.

LEESBURG After lightning delays, Leesburg fell to Sanford 2-1 on Independence Day in a shortened five-inning contest. In the first, a sacrifice fly from Sanford's Jarrod Cande (Florida Southern) got the scoring started. Francis Villaman (Florida International) later singled and drove in a run to give the River Rats a 2-0 lead. The Lightning outhit the River Rats 6 to 3, but pitching doomed Leesburg as a hit batter and two walks led to Sanford's only runs. They will be back in action Monday following the All-Star break to face the DeLand Suns at Pat Thomas Stadium.

LEESBURG For most of the night Friday, the Leesburg Lightning played the juggernaut Winter Park Diamond Dawgs to a standstill, scuffling for runs and keeping the Dawgs hot bats at bay with strong pitching. Both teams went down quietly in the first, but the Diamond Dawgs drew first blood in the second. Donte Wade (North Carolina A&T) grounded one to first but indecision by the Winter Park first baseman let a run score for the Lightning. Winter Park added three more on two Lightning errors, and the Bolts headed into the home half of the ninth trailing 8-3. The Lightning went 1-2-3 in the ninth and fell to the Diamond Dawgs for the second night in a row.