Colby Guy
SUNRISE — In the Florida Panthers rout of the Dallas Stars on Friday, five of their goals came from the combination of Jonathan Huberdeau, Sam Bennett and Anthony Duclair.
The three frequently played together upon Bennett’s arrival to Florida last spring in a line which Florida Hockey Now nicknamed the ‘9-1-1 Line’ due to the numbers worn by the three players.
Duclair, it should be noted, wore No. 91 last season but took No. 10 this offseason after Brett Connolly was traded to Chicago in 2021.
Still works. In more ways than one.
“They’ve been really feeling it right now and they have a lot of chemistry together,” Panthers interim coach Andrew Brunette said after the 7-1 win.
Bennett had a natural hat trick, Huberdeau ended with four points and Duclair had three.
“You can tell from the opening drop that Bennett was going and Huberdeau and Duclair have been going for a while and they just grabbed the momentum and looked good for us tonight.”
Bennett, perhaps the most overlooked of the three, was the one who shined the most on Friday, notching his second hat trick of the season.
“It’s really nice,” Bennett said. “Any time you can generate some personal success and help the team win, it’s nice. It’s a great feeling and I’m enjoying my time in South Florida.”
The Panthers acquired Bennett at the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline to bolster their roster ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and he has not disappointed.
Since being traded to Florida on April 12, Bennett is tied for 26th in goals with 20 while supplying a physical aspect to the lineup.
“He’s been awesome,” Duclair said of Bennett. “Anytime he’s in the lineup when he’s not suspended, he’s a threat.”
Duclair was jokingly alluding to Bennett’s recent suspension after a Jan. 1 hit to the head on Montreal’s Cedric Pacquette, which kept Bennett out of the lineup for the following three games.
But since he returned from the suspension, that line has been rolling.
Since Bennett came back on Jan. 11, his line put up a combined 12 points in a two-game span, the most from any line in the NHL.
While Bennett’s physicality and goal-scoring touch have something to do with it, Duclair and Huberdeau’s speed and dynamic playmaking ability intertwine with each other and create issues for the opponent.
“Huberdeau is an all-star for a reason, that guy can find anyone out there,” Duclair said. “I think he makes everyone around him better and I think other guys in my position would get the same luck.”
With a four-point night of his own, Huberdeau became just the fourth player in the NHL to have at least 50 points, joining Alexander Ovechkin, Leon Draisaitl, and Connor McDavid.
While Huberdeau, who was named to the NHL All-Star team on Thursday, has been one of Florida’s superstars, something similar can be said about Duclair.
He leads the team with 15 goals and has 28 points through 29 games, a career season in his own right.
“It’s been great. I’m really happy to be playing with those two guys,” Duclair said. “They’re so skillful. We’re more confident each and every game, and we get along well off the ice, too, so that helps. I think not only us, but all four lines have been playing really well, doing their jobs, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Gus Forsling got the Panthers started 3:07 into the game, deflecting a Bennett goal past Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger to give the Panthers the early lead with his first goal of the season.
His last goal came 34 games ago for him in a 5-4 win over the Stars on May 3, 2021.
“I was really happy to see that, he’s had so many good looks and he’s such an important part of our team,” Brunette said.
Duclair kept Florida going, making it a 2-0 game with the sweet moves that Panthers fans are accustomed to seeing just 8:50 into the first.
Carter Verhaeghe added to the lead with a wrist shot from the slot 5:33 into the second period to make it a three-goal lead.
Huberdeau then answered with what was his 14th goal and 50th point of the season 30 seconds later to extend Florida’s lead to 4-0.
Stars goalie Jake Oettinger tried nudging the net off of its moorings before the puck went in, but it was counted a good goal. That also marked the end of his night, as Dallas replaced him with Anton Khudobin.
Bennett got a pair of his own under three minutes apart from each other late in the second period, putting Florida up 6-0 heading into the second intermission.
By the time the horn that signaled the end of the second period sounded, it was a 6-0 lead for the Panthers.
Roope Hintz spoiled Sergei Bobrovsky’s shutout effort 1:06 into the third period, cutting Florida’s lead to 6-1.
With 4:06 to go, Bennett completed the hat trick after finishing off a nice feed from Duclair to extend the Panthers’ lead to 7-1.
Bobrovsky backstopped Florida, stopping 28 of 29 shots on his way to his 18th win of the season.