Panthers Crushed By Canadiens In 5-1 Loss
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MONTREAL (AP) — Shea Weber scored twice, helping the Montreal Canadiens end their seven-game skid with a 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.
Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher and Max Pacioretty also scored for the Canadiens, who had not won since their season opener. Carey Price made 26 saves and Jonathan Drouin had two assists.
Keith Yandle scored the only goal for the Panthers, while James Reimer stopped 32 of 37 shots. Reimer got the start with Roberto Luongo still injured (right hand).
Montreal scored five goals for the first time this season. Their previous high was three. The team had scored a combined five goals on its winless California road trip (0-3-0) coming into Tuesday.
Back home, where Montreal was previously winless this season, sparked the team's struggling offence.
Down 1-0, the Canadiens broke it wide open with three goals in 1:35 in the second period.
Galchenyuk got the first, on the power play, at 16:44. The 23-year-old, who played on the fourth line with Nikita Scherbak and Michael McCarron, drove hard to the net and cashed in Gallagher's rebound.
With the Habs again on the power play a minute later, Weber made it 2-1 with a slap shot from atop the faceoff circle at 18:02, beating Reimer glove side.
Gallagher scored 17 seconds later as he skipped over a sprawled-out Aaron Ekblad and beat Reimer while falling to the ice.
Montreal outshot Florida 15-6 in the second period and 37-27 in the game.
NOTES: Scherbak and McCarron, who were recalled from the Laval Rocket of the AHL on Monday, were making their season debuts. ... The Canadiens did not concede a goal in the first period for the first time this season. ... The Panthers claimed goaltender Antti Niemi off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Host the Ducks on Thursday night.
Canadiens: Host the Kings on Thursday night.
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