Panthers coach Paul Maurice points to a stat he's never seen before after tough loss in Montreal

Florida dropped a 6-2 decision at Bell Centre on Thursday, sliding to 22-18-3 while Montreal improved to 25-13-6.

Sam Montembeault was sharp, stopping 25 shots on 27, even if one NHL recap listed 24 saves. Florida actually outshot Montreal 27-19, but the night still slipped away.

Brad Marchand, Florida's leading scorer, sat out and remains day to day with an undisclosed injury. The bigger problem is the pileup, with eight Panthers listed out or day to day on injury reports right now.

The Canadiens struck early when Noah Dobson's point shot deflected in, then Oliver Kapanen made it 2-0 late in the first. Florida pushed back, but Montreal finished plays at the net front.

Paul Maurice called the group «a good bunch of guys,» but admitted the puck speed was a real problem early. That tracks, because the Canadiens looked quicker to loose pucks all night.

Maurice also pointed to a stat he said he'd never dealt with before:
It's the kind of night that screams bad luck, but it also comes back to execution, because when your coverage breaks down, the chances you do allow tend to be the ones that end up in the back of your net.

If you're a Panthers fan, Bennett's effort is the kind of thing you cling to during a messy road stretch.

His first goal came from pure hunger, jumping on a Montembeault turnover and burying it into an open net. Later, he drove the crease again and tapped in a rebound, a classic Bennett sequence.

That's where the Sam Reinhart comparison fits for me, the best scorers find a way even when the game is tilting. Marchand and Reinhart are tied for the team lead with 23 goals, and Bennett is playing the same stubborn style.

Montreal was just too opportunistic, Alexandre Texier cashed some strange bounces and completed a hat trick, then Juraj Slafkovsky sealed it late. When the Canadiens turn speed into chaos, you spend the night chasing.

Maurice said there was «enough good» to build on, and I get what he means when Florida is still generating looks. The Panthers now have to drag that urgency into Saturday in Ottawa, because the injury margin is gone.

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