Montreal(30-40-6) rolled out to a 1-0 lead at the 1:23 mark of the first period. Sean Farrell collected his first NHL goal with a wrist shot from the left wing following a feed from Jake Evans.
Florida(38-31-7) quickly evened it up 1-1 at 4:09. Anton Lundell scored in his second straight game with his 11th goal of the campaign from the top of the crease. Eetu Luostarinen and Tkachuk were credited with assists on the play.
The Panthers pulled ahead 2-1 with the man advantage at 3:59 of the second period. Brandon Montour connected a pass from the top of the zone with Sam Reinhart. He sent a cross-ice pass across the crease from the left goal line and Tkachuk powered in a forehand shot from the right of the crease by Sam Montembeault for his 36th tally.
It became 3-1 for Florida at the 5:57 mark of the second. Aaron Ekblad advanced the puck from his own zone. Anton Lundell brought the puck into the Canadiens zone. He made a drop pass at the right point and Tkachuk snapped a shot from right circle. Tkachuk chalked up his 100th point of the season along with his 37th goal this season. He joined Jonathan Huberdeau from last season as the only Panthers in franchise history to have 100 points in a single season.
In the third period, the Panthers increased it to a three-goal margin 4-1 with 9:45 to go. Lundell stripped Nick Suzuki in the Habs zone and went on a breakaway. He slid the puck by Montembeault with a forehand shot in the blue paint for an unassisted tally and his second goal of the contest.
The Habs went on the power play and added an extra attacker. Mike Hoffman blasted a slap shot from the right point that was deflected in by Rafael Harvey-Pinard past Alex Lyon with 1:25 remaining and they trailed 4-2. Former Panthers player Mike Matheson received a secondary assist on the play.
The Canadiens tried the same strategy to stay in the game. Tkachuk lofted a shot from the neutral zone into the Montreal cage with 19.3 seconds left for his second hat trick and 38th goal this season.
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