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Noah Gregor scored eight seconds into the game to open an early five-goal barrage by Florida, Matthew Tkachuk had his first four-point game since December 2024, and the Panthers defeated the Ottawa Senators 6-3 on Tuesday night.
Carter Verhaeghe scored two goals and added an assist for Florida, while Seth Jones had three assists — including one on Gregor’s history-making goal.
Gregor’s goal was the fastest to open a game in Panthers history — two seconds ahead of Johan Garpenlov’s goal at the 10-second mark of a game against Colorado in October 1996 — and the fastest to start a game in the NHL this season.
Linus Ullmark started and stopped 11 of 16 shots before getting chased after Florida took a 5-0 lead with 5:24 left in the first period.
James Reimer replaced Ullmark and stopped 12 of 13 shots.
Drake Batherson, Jordan Spence and Michael Amadio scored for Ottawa, which has gone 0-2-1 in its last three games as it chases a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.
The Senators are tied with Detroit and Philadelphia at two points back of the final Eastern playoff spot with eight games to play.
A.J. Greer and Mackie Samoskevich also scored for Florida, while Sam Bennett added two assists and Daniil Tarasov stopped 22 shots for the Panthers.
Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk, right, celebrates his goal with centre Sam Bennett during the second period against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. (Jim Rassol/Imagn Images/Reuters)
Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and three assists in the game. It was the 25th time he’s gone head-to-head in the NHL with his brother Brady, the Senators’ captain; Matthew Tkachuk’s teams have now won 15 of those meetings.
Linesman Brad Kovachik worked regular-season game No. 1,972 of his career — and it’ll be the last. The veteran of three decades is retiring, ending a career that saw him work the Stanley Cup final in five different years, as well as the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Players from both teams lined up to shake Kovachik’s hand during a first-period stoppage in play.