5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers 9, Canadiens 5

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers brought fans to their feet and broke a few franchise records during a wild 9-5 win over the Montreal Canadiens at FLA Live Arena on Thursday.
Improving to 34-27-7, the Panthers sit just three points behind the New York Islanders for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but also have a pair of key games in hand.
"I've never seen anything like that in 25 years, that many goals" Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said of the 10-goal first period. "There were more goals than chances to score, and that's a rarity. All I can say is that it completely affected the rest of the game for both teams."
For a quick recap of the game, click HERE.
To read up on five key takeaways for the Cats, continue below.

1. HISTORIC FIRST PERIOD

Matthew Tkachuk summed it up best.
"If you came 30 minutes late, you're probably regretting it," he said.
With the first goal coming just 16 seconds after puck drop, the action didn't cease from there as the Panthers and Canadiens combined for 10 goals in the first period. Only the third time in NHL history that a 10-goal first period has occurred, the last such period took place on Jan. 16, 1987.
Keeping the home crowd on their feet at all times, the Panthers built up a 7-3 lead in the first period on goals from Colin White, Gustav Forsling, Aaron Ekblad, Ryan Lomberg, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe, who scored both the second and seventh goals in the period for Florida.

Setting a new franchise record for goals in a period, the Panthers' seven goals also stand as the second-most ever scored by an NHL team in the first period of a regular-season game, trailing only the eight that were posted by Montreal more than 100 years ago back on March 8, 1922.
By the time the first period ended, 14 different Panthers had tallied at least one point.
"It was one of the wildest games I've been a part of, the first period with all those goals and everything," Verhaeghe said. "We found a way. It was a good win."

2. TKACHUK ON FIRE

Tkachuk had seven points during two games in the 2023 NHL All-Star Game.
Crazily, he's matched that total over his last two games with the Panthers.
Leading the Panthers with four points (one goal, three assists) against the Canadiens, Tkachuk, who was named MVP of the All-Star Game, has recorded at least three points in each of his last three games, matching Pavel Bure's record for the longest such streak in franchise history.

"When you're playing with good players and the team scores nine goals, it helps everybody out there," Tkachuk said of his recent surge on offense. "It's nothing about my game that's really changed. Just go in there with the same mindset. The same preparation goes into every game."
Leading the Panthers with a career-high 30 multi-point games, Tkachuk needs just one more multi-point showing to tie the franchise's single-season record. Climbing the NHL's leaderboard, the 25-year-old forward currently ranks fourth in the league in scoring with 91 points.
With 14 games left, Tkachuk's 91 points are already the sixth-most in a season by a Panther.
"He's moving his feet," Maurice said. "He's making the right plays. He's not trying to create offense when it's not there. He's letting the game come to him. That's usually when a guy's on a roll and in a rhythm, when he's not forcing anything."

3. TWO FOR VERHAEGHE

One of the NHL's best kept secrets is lighting it up in South Florida.
With a pair of goals in the first period against the Canadiens, Verhaeghe earned his eighth multi-goal game of the campaign and increased his team-leading and career-high goal total to 34.

Doing most of his damage at 5-on-5 as usual, both of his goals against Montreal came at even-strength. Sitting sixth in the NHL in even-strength goals this season with 28, Verhaeghe needs to net just one more to tie Olli Jokinen for the third-most in a season in franchise history.
"Very under the radar," Tkachuk said of Verhaeghe, his current linemate. "Even before I came here, I didn't know a ton about him other than that he had a great year last year and the year before. Even in the skates during camp, you could see the talent he had and how fast he was."
Second on the Panthers in scoring with a career-high 59 points (34 goals, 25 assists), Verhaeghe has produced 12 points (six goals, six assists) over his last 12 contests.

"It seemed like we were shooting and everything was going in," Verhaeghe said.

4. REINHART'S MILESTONE

Sam Reinhart celebrated his 600th NHL game in style.
Beating the whistle before a scuffle at the other end of the ice stopped play, Reinhart extended the lead to 6-3 in the first period when he cut around a defender before roofing a wicked shot into the twine.
With that timely tally, he extended his goal streak to three games.

"It goes fast," Reinhart said of the milestone. "It's pretty crazy that it's 600 already. I'm just enjoying the moment. I'm thrilled to be in the hunt and have an exciting month ahead of us."
Originally selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the second-overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, Reinhart has been a model of scoring efficiency ever since he entered the league. Third on the Panthers with 24 goals in 2022-23, he's scored at least 20 goals in each of the last six seasons.
Over his first two seasons with Florida, Reinhart has scored 57 goals in 146 games.

5. EKBLAD STRIKES TWICE

Aaron Ekblad brought the heat from the blue line against Montreal.
After putting the Panthers up 4-3 when his shot clipped off a defender and sailed into the twine in the first period, the 27-year-old defenseman struck again in the second period when he jammed a rebound across the goal line on the power play to make it 8-4.
"A couple lucky ones, to be honest," Ekblad said. "Off the skate and then top corner, kind of weird [on the first goal]. Then it was poking one in at the goal line [for the second goal]."

Named the second star of the game, Ekblad also posted five shots on goal, one hit and one blocked shot in the win. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, the Panthers led 25-11 in shot attempts, 14-6 in shots on goal and 2-0 in goals when he was deployed at 5-on-5.
Posting double-digit goals for the eighth time in nine NHL seasons, Ekblad is tied with Brandon Montour for first among Panthers defensemen in goals with 12 so far this campaign.
"The team's doing well right now," Ekblad said. "We're pushing hard and you can see that. You can see the importance of the games and how everyone is coming together and working so hard. It's definitely good to see us getting points on a nightly basis."