Music City Rout: Greer Gets Two, Panthers Smash Predators

The Florida Panthers got things rolling in their game with the Nashville Predators in a hurry, A.J. Greer scoring a mere 11 seconds in.

And even though Nashville tied the score midway through the opening period, the Panthers kept scoring in an 8-3 rout on Monday night.

Greer’s goal moments after the initial faceoff is the fastest to open a game this season but was second-fastest in Panthers history.

Johan Garpenlov opened a game in Colorado with a goal in 1996 just 10 seconds in; Sasha Barkov did so as well against the Canadiens 20 years later.

Florida led 2-0 on a goal by Evan Rodrigues with Nashville scoring twice to tie the score at 10:32 of the first period.

Only the Panthers closed the period with goals from Jesper Boqvist and Sam Bennett.

Gus Forsling scored early in the second to chase goalie Juuse Saros.

Leading 5-3 in the the third, Greer got his second to salt things away although the scoring was not quite complete.

Daniil Tarasov, making his scheduled start after relieving Sergei Bobrovsky on Saturday night, was active and got his second win of the season with 36 saves.

NOTEBOOK: PANTHERS at PREDATORS

• With two goals on Monday, Greer tied his career high for goals in a single season; he had six for Florida last season, and six for Calgary the year before.
• Sam Reinhart had two assists in the first for his fifth point streak of at least seven games with the Panthers which ties him with Matthew Tkachuk, Olli Jokinen, and Pavel Bure for third-most in franchise history. Barkov has done it 11 times.
• Reinhart also has 34 multi-point periods with the Panthers which is tied for sixth; Barkov has done that 100 times. He had a goal in the third for a three-point night.
• The six combined goals in the first period were the second most in an NHL game this season.
• Florida had 12 players make the scoresheet which was four shy of the franchise record 16 that made it against the Canucks earlier this month.

GOALS OF THE GAME

• Panthers 1, Predators 0 (0:11 1st): A.J. Greer scores the quickest goal to kick off a game in the NHL this season by banging home a nice pass from Carter Verhaeghe at the end boards.
• Panthers 2, Predators 0 (5:42 1st): Uvis Balinskis takes a pass from Evan Rodrigues that Juuse Saros stops — only to have Rodrigues clean it up on the doorstep.
• Panthers 2, Predators 1 (6:52 1st): Filip Forsberg gets the Preds on the board, deflecting a shot on the goal line that finds a spot behind Daniil Tarasov.
• Predators 2, Panthers 2 (10:32 1st): Fedor Svechkov finds a rebound and all of a sudden, Nashville is in this thing. It will not last.
• Panthers 3, Predators 2 (11:31 1st): Jesper Boqvist gets loose on a breakaway and walks in on Saros.
• Panthers 4, Predators 2 (15:46 1st): Sam Bennett charges the net and a clearing attempt goes off his skate and in.
• Panthers 5, Predators 2 (1:24 2nd): Gus Forsling sends a point shot that has eyes and knocks Saros from the game with 11 saves.
• Panthers 5, Predators 3 (2:11 3rd PP): Nick Blankenberg fires one through traffic from the slot.
• Panthers 6, Predators 3 (4:52 3rd): Greer gets another, sending a shot from the high slot between the skates of Justus Annunen.
• Panthers 7, Predators 3 (8:33 3rd 4/4): Rodrigues takes advantage of a poor line change by the Preds and gets a shot off with Sam Reinhart scoring off the tasty rebound.
• Panthers 8, Predators 3 (12:49 3rd): Verhaeghe walks in and scores on a top-corner backhander.

FHN’S 3 STARS

• 1. A.J. Greer, Panthers
• 2. Sam Reinhart, Panthers
• 3. Carter Verhaeghe, Panthers

ON DECK: GAME 23

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS at FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WPTV 5/WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• Streaming: Panthers+; ESPN+
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (West Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); WCZR 101.7-FM (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL/Panthers App
• Last Season: Florida won 2-1
• This Season (Tied 1-1) — At Florida: Panthers 2, Flyers 1 (Oct. 9); Wednesday; At Philadelphia: Flyers 5, Panthers 2 (Oct. 13).
• All-time Regular Season Series: Philadelphia leads 61-40-7, 7 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Friday vs. Calgary Flames, 4 p.m.