Florida Panthers’ Montour in midst of breakout season. And Tkachuk keeps racking up points
.JPG "Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, in Buffalo, N.Y.")
Brandon Montour found himself in the right place at the right time on Monday, and he took advantage.
The Florida Panthers defenseman saw the puck bounce his way after Matthew Tkachuk tried to jam it into the net for an early goal against the Buffalo Sabres. It redirected toward Montour, who tapped the puck in himself to give the Panthers an early lead in their eventual 4-1 victory over the Sabres to start a three game road trip.
“You’ve obviously just got to pick your spots, especially against a team like this that’s fast and skilled,” Montour told Bally Sports Florida’s Katie Engleson during a first-intermission interview. “They cheat for offense. There was just a play there where I found an open lane, and Chucky found a lane to get it to me. I got the rebound and it was good.”
Montour has had a knack for producing since the Panthers acquired him from the Sabres in April 2021.
And he’s in the midst of a breakout season.
Entering Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montour has already set a single-season career-high with 28 assists. His 36 total points through 43 games played rank eighth among all NHL defensemen and are one shy of his career high of 37 set in 81 games last season, his first full campaign with the Panthers.
He is working on the top power play unit and had his share of time playing on Florida’s top defense pairing early in the season when Aaron Ekblad was sidelined with a groin injury. Montour has been on the ice for an average of 24:27 per game this season, nearly six-and-a-half minutes above his average ice time last season (17:54) and four minutes more than his career average (20:27).
“Opportunity, the belief from my coaches and my teammates, and just enjoying the game,” Montour said. “I’m having fun. I have confidence in my ability to make plays in the offensive zone, but obviously take care of my own end first.”
Streaking Tkachuk
Tkachuk, Florida’s All-Star winger, enters Tuesday riding a season-long seven-game point streak in which he has logged 13 points (five goals, eight assists).
This is his third separate point streak of at least five games.
His three-assist game on Monday against Buffalo was his 18th multi-point game of the season, seventh game with at least three points and second game with three assists.
For what it’s worth, Florida is 14-1-3 in games when Tkachuk records multiple points, including a perfect 7-0-0 when he has at least three points.
Tkachuk is one of seven players with at least 18 multi-point efforts this season, joining Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (23), Dallas’ Jason Robertson (19), Boston’s Davis Pastrnak (19), Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (19), Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (18) and New Jersey’s Jack Hughes (18).
His 56 total points (22 goals, 34 assists) are eighth in the league.
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