The Florida Panthers dropped a 3-1 decision to the Montreal Canadiens at Belle Saturday night to fall to 1-2 on their six-game road trip which continues tonight against the New York Islanders.
Florida held the Canadiens to six shots in the first period, but the Habs scored on two of them to take control of the tilt.
A slashing call on Mackie Samoskevich gave Montreal an early power play and after taking a pass from rookie sensation Lane Hutson, Patrik Laine loaded up and ripped a wrister in off the far post from the left circle. The goal came at 4:18 and the second assist went to Cole Caufield.
The Canadiens doubled the lead when the Cats coughed the puck up on a zone exit when Aleksander Barkov’s pass failed to connect with Seth Jones. Juraj Slafkovský made the interception and sent the puck down low to Caufield, who wheeled around to get on his forehand and fired a shot past Sergei Bobrovsky with 4:04 left in the frame.
Samoskevich halved the deficit with the only goal of the second period. The rookie took a pass from Sam Bennett and rushed up the right side before sending the puck around the boards to Carter Verhaeghe. Verhaeghe sent the puck back to Samoskevich, who rounded the net (with some help from Bennett’s pick of Mike Matheson) and beat Samuel Montembeault at 3:51 from the lower left circle.
Unfotunately, Bennett would turn the puck over to defenseman David Savard and his subsequent shot was deflected in by Christian Dvorak 8:11 into the third to put the home team back up by two.
The Cats out-shot the Canadiens 11-2 in the final stanza, but Montembeault was up to the task, finishing with 21 stops to beat his former team. Montembeault made glove saves on Verhaeghe and Barkov on a late Florida power-play opportunity.
While Florida held Montreal to a meager total of 15 shots on Bobrovsky, the Habs were efficient with their chances and they managed to build an early lead they would not relinquish. The Panthers will need to be better tonight at UBS Arena.
Nicotine & Gravy
- Cole Caufield earned First Star honors for his first period goal and assist. The assist was Caufield’s 60th point of the season, while the goal was 33rd and seventh game-winner.
- Mackie Samoskevich’s marker gave the rookie the first three-game point streak of his career. Samoskevich has produced at least a point in six of his last seven games.
- Sam Bennett’s assist on Florida’s only goal extended his point streak to five games. Bennett has produced 10 points in the 10 games following the 4 Nations Face-Off.
- Christian Dvorak’s third period insurance goal was the 100th of his career and came in his 518th NHL game.
- Niko Mikkola was the only skater to put four shots on goal. Mikkola logged 20:11 of ice time was also credited with a hit.
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