SUNRISE, Fla. _ A year ago the Florida Panthers defeated the visiting Canadiens for their seventh victory in the middle of a franchise-record 12-game winning streak that catapulted them to the top of the Atlantic Division.
What a difference a year makes.
The injury-decimated Panthers, who added top-line center Aleksander Barkov to their M.A.S.H. unit, blew another third-period lead and lost 3-2 in overtime Thursday night at a packed BB&T Center. So the Panthers closed out a disappointing five-game homestand against division rivals at 1-1-3 to inch closer to the bottom of the Atlantic than the surface.
The Panthers (38 points) hope to celebrate New Year's Eve with a victory in Dallas, before returning home for three more games. The Canadiens (49 points) ended their three-game losing streak.
Both teams were coming off post-regulation losses on Friday and both started backup goalies. Montreal's Al Montoya, who played for the Panthers last season, outdueled James Reimer (38 saves) with 31 saves.
Thanks to Vincent Trocheck's power-play goal the Panthers led 2-1 after two periods, however Brendan Gallagher finished off an odd-man rush with a roof-job over Reimer to forge a 2-2 tie with 2:37 left. That set up Florida's 11th post-regulation affair in their last 19 games.
Just 39 seconds into OT, Phillip Danault sent the thousands of Habs fans home happy with a breakaway goal.
Despite getting outplayed and outshot 16-9, the Panthers took a 1-0 lead into the second period until consecutive power plays by Montreal wore down Florida's penalty killers. With Paul Thompson in the box for initiating a fight with Michael McCarron and Colton Sceviour playing without a stick, Canadiens sharpshooter Max Pacioretty took advantage of open ice before flicking a wrist shot from the low slot through a maze of bodies and Reimer for a 1-1 tie at 5:45. It was his team-leading 15th goal and his 10th in 12 games.
The Panthers countered with their own power-play goal at 9:02 when Trocheck's wrist shot from the side boards beat a screened-out Montoya to regain a 2-1 lead. It was Trocheck's 10th goal. The Panthers nearly clicked on their next power play but Montoya made a sprawling save on Aaron Ekblad, who momentarily had a gaping net to shoot at.
For the second consecutive game Jon Marchessault won a puck battle behind his own net that led to a Panthers' goal. He got it out to Jussi Jokinen who flipped it to defenseman Jason Demers for a one-time slapper that Montoya made the initial stop on.
The rebound caromed off the shin of Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber and in for Demers' seventh goal in his 37th game. That tied his career high set last season with Dallas in 62 games.
