Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens smash records in 10-goal first frame
Thursday night’s Atlantic Division faceoff between the Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens made NHL history when the teams combined for 10 first-period goals.
The period, which saw Florida go into the break up 7-3, was just the third 10-goal first in league history and the first time two teams have reached that total through 15 minutes.
The @FlaPanthers and Canadiens averaged a goal every two minutes in their opening frame. 🤯
The 10 combined goals tied an NHL record for the most ever in a first period. #NHLStats: https://t.co/yGG0q9BFvx pic.twitter.com/tsOXaEU63R
The Panthers’ beatdown of Montreal also ties the record for second-most goals during any period and most different goalscorers (9) ever in a first period. There have been two 12-goal periods in league history.
Mike Matheson gave the Habs the lead with a top corner effort just 16 seconds in to set the tone, but within four minutes Colin White and Carter Verhaeghe had put Florida up 2-1 and in the driver’s seat.
The Canadiens would tie the wide-open contest at 2-2 and again at 3-3 with just over eight minutes played. From then on, it was all downhill for Montreal.
Panthers’ star defenseman Aaron Ekblad re-established his team’s lead just 30 seconds later. Ryan Lomberg and Sam Reinhart then both scored past Jake Allen, who had relieved Samuel Montembeault after Florida’s third goal.
Carter Verhaeghe completed the barrage when he scored his second goal of the period and 34th of the season; his backhand shot from a bad angle went in off of Allen’s side.
Five minutes after Montreal last tied the game, they found themselves down 7-3 with almost seven minutes left in the period. It was the first time since 1985 that an NHL team scored 7 first-period goals, and they did it in just over 13 minutes.
Thursday’s first period was the first time the Panthers had ever scored 7 goals in a single frame and the third time that the Canadiens conceded that many scores in a first period. The previous two times were against the Hartford Whalers and Montreal Maroons.
The Habs were game in the final two periods, scoring twice more on their way to a 9-5 defeat. They are last in the Atlantic division with 60 points through 69 games.
For the Panthers, who had only three dressed players kept off the score sheet, the historic win was their seventh in ten tries. They are now just 3 points out of the New York Islanders’ last wild card spot with two games in hand.
Montreal’s schedule does not get any easier; they will face the Lightning twice before visiting the rival Bruins next Thursday.
The Panthers, meanwhile, will try to stay hot as they host the playoff-bound New Jersey Devils on Saturday.