Juuse Saros breaks silence on Sam Bennett's hit

Bennett is renowned for his aggressive style over his NHL career, and he wasted no time bringing that reputation to Milan. In the opening frame, the Florida Panthers center crashed into the crease at full speed and hit Saros.

He was sent to the penalty box for goalie interference, and Finland scored on the power play.

In the end, Team Canada won, and Saros didn't shy away from speaking his truth about Bennett's antics.

Saros, after making 36 saves, enough to give his team a chance to stay in the game, showed up visibly disappointed in front of the reporters.

When asked if he felt the hit from Bennett was intentional, Saros offered a biting assessment of Bennett’s track record:

Bennett has made many victims over the years, most recently knocking Anthony Stolarz out of last year’s playoffs with a similar play.

The agitating style clearly got under the skin of the defending Olympic champions.

While Canada eventually secured the 3-2 win through a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, the Finnish side remains bitter. They feel the officials allowed Bennett too much latitude to hunt their star goaltender, a similar narrative that Team Czechia exposed after losing in the quarterfinals.

Finland’s quest for gold is over, but they still have a bronze medal game on the horizon. Saros will need to find his focus quickly as they await the loser of the USA-Slovakia matchup.

For Bennett, the win validates his inclusion on the team, regardless of the criticism coming from the opposing locker rooms.