A fresh start, with Johnston at the helm, might benefit Bennett as much as anyone on the Penguins roster.
“With Coach Dan, I wish him all the best, but as a young guy, it was a little different,†Bennett said. “You’re definitely held accountable with anyone, to a certain extent, but as an offensive guy, you could make a mistake last year and that could be it for your game.
“To be able to come to the bench and have a positive influence say, ‘Try this next time’ or ‘Do something better’ rather than putting you down or giving you the death stare. It’s good either way, because it keeps you accountable, but I think the positivity will go a long way.â€
Johnston is giving Bennett a look on the third line with Steve Downie and Brandon Sutter, but it’s a different feel than when he was slotted into the bottom six at times over the last two seasons.
For one thing, Johnston said he wanted a skill guy and a hard-working checker to play with Sutter. Bennett would be the skill guy, which, as he showed while accruing 22 assists in 42 career games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, is a role that suits him.