Follow usEetu Luostarinen showcased his scoring prowess with a pair of power-play goals, propelling the Florida Panthers to a convincing 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night and extending their winning streak to four games.
Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe also contributed to the Panthers’ success, with the team dominating the third period by outscoring Montreal 3-0. Anthony Stolarz stood firm in goal, making 18 saves for Florida.
Montreal’s Cole Caufield managed to score, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Canadiens from dropping their second consecutive game in regulation after a five-game point streak. Jake Allen made 22 saves for Montreal.
Luostarinen initiated the scoring by deflecting an Evan Rodrigues shot 4:05 into the second period. Although Caufield responded with a power-play goal at the 7:01 mark of the second, Luostarinen reclaimed the lead for Florida with 12:26 left in the period.
The game marked the Panthers’ final appearance in 2023, a year in which they achieved their highest number of wins. Notably, the Panthers secured victory 61 times in 2023, a year highlighted by their journey to the Stanley Cup Final, contributing to the franchise’s best run in its history.
Reflecting on the team’s recent success, over the last three calendar years, the Panthers have maintained an impressive average of 59.3 wins per year, a significant improvement compared to the franchise’s historical average of 31 wins per year from 1993 through 2020.
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