SUNRISE, Fla. _ This was the team the Panthers were supposed to be.
In their most complete game of the season, Jonathan Marchessault continued his assault on opposing goaltenders with the first hat trick of his career to lead a 7-0 rout of the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks in a raucous, sold-out BB&T Center Saturday night.
Panthers coach Tom Rowe said earlier this week that he needed more from his young trio of Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and a slumping Nick Bjugstad next season.
Why wait? Huberdeau had a goal and three assists; Barkov notched a goal and two helpers; and Bjugstad scored his sixth goal of the season. The seven goals tied a season high and it was their most lopsided victory since an 8-0 win in Toronto on Feb. 5, 2008.
The only downer on a fun-filled night was the potential loss of top-line forward Jaromir Jagr, who sustained a leg injury in the second period on a hip check from Richard Panik. Jagr, 45, who has played all 74 games this season, came back briefly but didn't return for the third.
The Panthers weren't supposed to be seven points out of a playoff spot with eight games remaining. They thoroughly outplayed a 102-point team that entered on a 6-0-1 roll and just two points behind Washington for the President's Trophy, which nets home ice throughout the playoffs.
Panthers goalie James Reimer recorded 25 saves for his 16th victory and first shutout since April 5, 2016, a span of 38 appearances.
The Panthers, who had won three of the last 11 at home, took 2 of 3 on this modest homestand.
Leading 3-0 the Panthers poured it on in the third as Marchessault scored unassisted to begin the barrage. Less than three minutes later, Huberdeau set Marchessault up for a flicker through the legs of Scott Darling, who had just come in for a besieged Corey Crawford.
It was Marchessault's fifth goal in two games and Florida's first since Colton Sceviour notched his on Oct. 16 at Detroit. Marchessault padded his team lead to 28 goals.
Instead of hats, Panthers fans threw rats on the ice.
They weren't done as Bjugstad joined the party on a deflection 40 seconds later. Reilly Smith added his 13th at 11:45.
After a scoreless, wide-open, free-wheeling first period, the Panthers took a 1-0 lead just 17 seconds into the second period.
Defenseman Jason Demers criss-crossed in the neutral zone before feeding a streaking Huberdeau, who zipped it to Barkov for a blistering top-shelf wrister past Crawford. Barkov notched No. 21.
The Panthers took advantage of a double-minor by Chicago's Ryan Hartman. The power play turned into a 5-on-3, 1:42 advantage when Marcus Kruger joined Hartman for a timeout.
Just 33 seconds later, Barkov returned the favor to Huberdeau with a set up from the right dot where he sniped a riser for a power-play goal against Chicago's 25th-ranked PK and a 2-0 lead.
Just two seconds after the power play expired and 79 seconds following Huberdeau's goal, the Panthers maintained possession of the puck in their zone when Barkov found Marchessault for his trademark one-timer and a 3-0 cushion at 11:40.
