Sam Reinhart scored a pair of goals and added an assist in regulation and Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell came through in the shootout to lift the Florida Panthers to an exciting 4-3 win over the game Montreal Canadiens.
Barkov opened the scoring 7:01 into the first period. After Anthony Stolarz rang the puck around the boards, Carter Verhaeghe bumped it to Reinhart, who broke down the ice with Barkov 2-on-1, with defenseman Kaiden Guhle desperately trying to get back to help. Reinhart slipped a pass by Mike Matheson and Barkov beat Sam Montembeault glove-side with a wrister. Verhaeghe established a new career-high with his 32nd helper.
The Canadiens would answer a mere 1:23 later when leading scorer Nick Suzuki got behind the Florida defense to receive a stretch pass from Arber Xhekaj and picked his spot before firing the puck past Stolarz. The second assist on Suzuki’s 24th went to David Savard.
Reinhart would become just the four Panther to hit the 40-goal plateau 14:08 into the second. After trading passes with Barkov a couple of times. Matthew Tkachuk fed into the slot for Reinhart and he pumped a rising shot home with Savard off for cross-checking to hit the milestone for the first time. The goal was also his 70th point of the season.
Second-year man Juraj Slafkovsky would answer with less than a tick left in the period to send the teams off the ice tied at two. Suzuki cleanly won a draw over Kevin Stenlund in the left circle back to the 19-year-old and he completed the set play with a shot that deflected off Niko Mikkola.
Montreal would forge ahead 3:27 into the final frame with Mikkola off for interference. Suzuki did the heavy lifting, carrying deep into the Florida zone before dishing off to Cole Caulfield. Caulfield fed an open Alex Newhook in the left circle and he quickly solved Stolarz to put the visitors up a goal.
Not content with ending his seven-game scoring drought, Reinhart notched his second of the night with 6:55 left in regulation and the Panthers down a man. Barkov picked off an ill-advised cross-ice pass by Salfkovsky and went the other way with Reinhart, who took a pass from the captain, went wide around Caufield before going roofing a beauty on Montembeault to knot the score.
After overtime failed to produce a winner, and saves on Jesse Yloenen and Reinhart, Barkov went blocker-side on his former teammate after Stolarz made a dazzling glove save on Suzuki to open the second round.
Caulfield would temporarily keep the Canadiens alive with a bullet in the bottom of third before Lundell won it with a spectacular backhand-to-forehand finish. What a move!
While not exactly looking dominant, the Panthers found a way to pick up victories in all three games of the homestand, a testament to just how hard it is to beat this team. They now have 40 wins and are currently the top team in the NHL in both points (84 – tied with Boston) and win percentage (.700). Florida will open a difficult three-game road with a Saturday afternoon, nationally televised tilt against the Detroit Red Wings.
Habs & Hab nots
- Sam Reinhart’s second period marker was his first goal since February 10, and gave him 23 power-play goals, which leads the league. His shorthanded goal was his fifth of the season, leaving him one away from tying Tom Fitzgerald’s franchise record.
- Joining Reinhart with three-point games were Aleksander Barkov and Nick Suzuki, who each had a goal and two assists. It was Barkov’s seventh three or more-point effort of the campaign.
- Anthony Stolarz, who appeared in his 100th NHL game, stopped 28 shots and two of three in the shootout to raise his record to 11-5-1. Sam Montembeault helped earn his club with a point with a 32-save effort.
- Alex Newhook’s goal early in the third ended Florida’s fourteen-game run of giving up two or less goals. The last time they surrendered more than a pair was in a 6-4 loss to Minnesota on January 19.
- Sam Bennett finished with a game-high seven shots on goal while Juraj Slafkovsky registered a team-high six for the Canadiens.
- Stop by Eyes On The Prize for the other side of the shootout between Atlantic Division rivals.