Panthers Skate By Canadiens

     The Florida Panthers began 2022 with a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at FLA Live Arena on Saturday. The Panthers conclude their four-game homestand on Tuesday against Calgary. The Canadiens remained last in the Eastern Conference. 

     Florida(21-7-4) rocketed out to 1-0 lead just 32 seconds into the contest. Jonathan Huberdeau placed the puck from above the left circle to the end wall. Anthony Duclair sent a blind backhanded pass to the crease and Sam Bennett one-timed a shot by Sam Montembeault for his 10th goal of the season. 

     Montreal(7-23-4) evened it up 1-1 at 3:48. David Savard cycled the puck from the right point. Sami Niku took a shot from the left wing and Jonathan Drouin redirected the puck from the low slot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his sixth goal this season. 

     In the second period, the Habs pulled ahead 2-1 on a 4-on-4 situation at the 9:29 mark. Jesse Ylonen snapped a shot from the high slot and Bobrovsky made a blocker save. Nick Suzuki released a wrist shot from the low left circle into a half-empty net for his seventh goal of the campaign. 
     The Cats bounced back with a power-play tally to tie it 2-2 with 4:58 remaining in the second. Huberdeau down low from the top left circle. Sam Reinhart connected a cross-ice pass from the left of the crease land Aleksander Barkov put in a one-time forehand shot from the low right circle for his 12th goal. 

     The Panthers regained the lead 3-2 with 2:30 left in the period. Owen Tippett sent a cross-ice pass at the red line from the left side to Reinhart on the right. Reinhart charged into the Canadiens zone on the right wing, angled a diagonal pass and Frank Vatrano tapped the puck in from the top of the crease for his eighth goal. 

     Florida extended their lead to 4-2 only 15 seconds into the third period. Bennett picked up his 11th goal of the season on assists from MacKenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau. It was the third assist of the contest for Huberdeau. 

     It became 5-2 for the Panthers with 6:56 to go in the third. Mason Marchment went into the right circle on a 2-on-1 breakaway and fired a snap shot for his second tally this year. Anton Lundell was credited with an assist on the play.