Montour’s having one of Panthers’ greatest defenseman seasons. He and Maurice explain how
Brandon Montour’s breakout season is hitting historic heights for the Florida Panthers. After setting a franchise record for longest points streak by a defenseman, Montour also became only fifth defenseman in Panthers history to notch 50 points in a season Saturday when he dished out a pair of assists in Florida’s win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 28-year-old Canadian entered the week with 51 points in 62 games — 64 for the team because Montour missed a pair of games early in the season — and it has him on pace to set the Panthers’ single-season franchise record for points by a defenseman.
“I don’t think I ever set goals of numbers in that aspect,” he said. “Have I thought that I could get there? For sure.”
Before he blossomed into one of the NHL’s breakout stars this season, Montour never came close to this. A year ago, he was a third-pairing defenseman and still set a career high with 37 points, and he had not even topped 20 in either of his prior two seasons.
If he stays at this pace, he will finish the year with at least 64 points. Keith Yandle, now retired, currently holds the franchise record for single-season points by a defensemen with 62, set during the 2018-19 NHL season.
The biggest reason for this massive jump, Montour maintains, is just the opportunity coach Paul Maurice and this new coaching staff have afforded him. He was buried behind star defensemen Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar on the depth chart and wound up bouncing around with different partners to bring some of his offensive skill to the bottom half of the lineup. Now he’s regularly playing in the top four and often his pairing, with fellow defenseman Marc Staal, leads Florida in 5-on-5 time on ice.
Montour’s 11 goals and 40 assists both ranked in the top 10 among all NHL defenseman, entering Tuesday.
“Kudos to coaches for believing in me,” Montour said. “Players that can put the puck in the net also helps.”
The other component, Montour and Maurice agree, is having stability.
Last year, Montour was partnered at various points with nine different defensemen and never had the same partner for more than eight straight games. Right now, he has played 28 straight games — entering Tuesday — next to Staal.
It’s an unlikely combination. Montour is a new-age, swift-skating, offensively minded defenseman. Staal, 36, is an old-school, stay-at-home defenseman. The contrast of styles works.
“The question’s about, Was he going to be able to still perform in the NHL? And his partner’s having the best year of his career,” Maurice said of Staal. “He has been so good for Brandon. ... In some ways, Marc Staal may be our most consistent defenseman this year because there isn’t a game where he somehow misses those blocked shots.”
Near the end of his career, Staal is not the same player he once was. He’s slower than he used to be and it sometimes leaves him in compromising positions.
He’s content, though, to stay near the back of the play and for all his flaws he does play with a veteran’s consistency. It lets Montour play with freedom knowing he will have Staal hanging back at the blue line and speed knowing he doesn’t have to think about where his partner might be.
“He’s solid,” Montour said. “He reads off me pretty well, and knows when I’m jumping up and making plays, and I read off him.”
Maybe Montour is rubbing off on Staal, too: Since the start of February, Staal has four points after recording only three in the first three-plus months of the season.
“It’s funny,” Montour said. “A lot of time he’s jumping up and joining the rush, as well.”
