Panthers Escape Canadiens

     The Florida Panthers finished off a three-game homestand and pushed by the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in a shootout on Thursday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers have defeated the Habs on seven straight occasions. 

     Florida(40-16-4) charged out to a 1-0 lead at 7:01 of the opening period. Sam Reinhart made a square pass in the high slot and Aleksander Barkov snapped a shot from the inner left circle by Sam Montembeault for his 14th goal this season. Carter Verhaeghe started the play for the secondary assist. 

     Montreal(23-28-9) evened it up 1-1 at the 8:24 mark of the first. Arber Xhekaj sent a long diagonal pass from deep in his own zone to Nick Suzuki at the Panthers blue line for a breakaway. Suzuki got his 24th goal of the campaign on a wrist shot from the low slot past Anthony Stolarz. 

     The Panthers reclaimed the lead 2-1 on the power play with 5:52 remaining in the second. Barkov slid the puck from above the right circle to Matthew Tkachuk on the right goal line. He centered it and Reinhart scored on a wrist shot from the slot area for his 40th goal of the season. He joined Pavel Bure, Verhaeghe and Tkachuk as the only players in Florida Panthers franchise history with at least 40 goals during one season. 

     The Canadiens made it 2-2 with just 00.7 seconds to go in the frame. Suzuki won the faceoff in the left circle and Juraj Slafkovsky rifled a snap shot from the top left circle for his 13th tally in 2023-24. 

     In the third period, the Habs got their first lead of the contest at the 3:26 mark for a 3-2 advantage. Suzuki backhanded the pass from the left wing to Cole Caufield in the left corner. He connected a pass and Alex Newhook compiled his ninth goal of the year on the power play. 

     It became 3-3 with 6:55 left in the third as Florida scored a shorthanded goal. Barkov angled a pass at the red line. Reinhart raced down the right side into the Montreal zone and lifted a shot from the low right circle for his second goal of the game. 

     It would be decided in a shootout. The Cats converted on Barkov's second shooting attempt. Caulfield tied it on the Habs third attempt when he scored on a snap shot. Anton Lundell capped the victory for the Panthers on their third attempt as he steered the puck in on a forehand shot.