Motor City Kitties: Florida Panthers 5, Detroit Red Wings 2

The Florida Panthers kept on streaking through Detroit on Monday night in a historic night for the franchise.

The Panthers, who have won 19 of the past 21 against the Red Wings, extended their point streak to seven games with a 5-2 win as captain Sasha Barkov became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.

Barkov came into the night tied with Jonathan Huberdeau with 613 points and surpassed him with a secondary assist on Gus Forsling’s goal midway through the second period.

What meant most to Barkov, of course, was that the Panthers now have gone 6-0-1 in their past seven games and now hold the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Panthers came into the night a point back of the Penguins for the final wild card spot — but with Pittsburgh losing 2-1 to Ottawa, Florida slides in.

Florida is also a point behind the Islanders for the top wild card spot with a game in hand.

The Panthers own a nine-game winning streak against the Red Wings — and are 11-2 all-time at Little Caesars Arena — and jumped out to an early 2-0 lead.

Matthew Tkachuk kept his five-game scoring streak going by scoring off a Sam Bennett pass 7:28 in. Five minutes later, Carter Verhaeghe gave the Panthers their first two-goal lead of the night.

In the second, Forsling made it 3-1 on a nice shot from beyond the left circle.

Detroit cut the deficit to a goal in the third on a delay call on Aaron Ekblad when Dylan Larkin scored from the goal line.

Only Anthony Duclair and Eric Staal got loose on a breakaway with Staal cashing in on a really nice cross-ice pass.

Carter Verhaeghe iced things with a power play goal with 1:23 left.

In the third, the Panthers lost Bennett to an undisclosed injury as he did not return after leaving with 12:53 remaining. Coach Paul Maurice did not have an update on his condition.

Radko Gudas also left the game in some obvious pain following a hit around the cage but was back a few shifts later.

GOALS OF THE GAME

• Panthers 1, Red Wings 0 (7:28, 1st): Matthew Tkachuk gets things going as he bangs a Sam Bennett pass off of the skate of Ville Husso and in.
• Panthers 2, Red Wings 0 (12:28, 1st): Carter Verhaeghe tees off on a slick pass from Tkachuk and fires it through traffic. Detroit challenges for goalie interference on Bennett, but it is denied.
• Panthers 2, Red Wings 1 (14: 37, 1st): Detroit kills off the delay of game penalty and Florida loses site of David Perron as he comes through the zone. Sergei Bobrovsky makes the stop on this shot but is out of position as Pius Suter reaches in and sweeps the loose puck in.
• Panthers 3, Red Wings 1 (11:33, 2nd): Gus Forsling scores from the top of the left circle off a pass from Sam Reinhart as Sasha Barkov sets the franchise record for most career points.
• Panthers 3, Red Wings 2 (7:53, 3rd): Dylan Larkin scored a pretty goal from the line on a delayed penalty on Aaron Ekblad.’
• Panthers 4, Red Wings 2 (16:08, 3rd): Anthony Duclair and Eric Staal broke loose on a breakaway with Staal cashing in on the nice feed.
• Panthers 5, Red Wings 2 (18:37, 3rd): Carter Verhaeghe gets a power play goal to pretty much put this game to bed.

GR’S THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT

1. Carter Verhaeghe, Florida

2. Matthew Tkachuk, Florida

3. Sasha Barkov, Florida

PANTHERS ON DECK

FLORIDA PANTHERS AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

• When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
• TV/Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932
• Season Series (Tied 1-1): Florida 4, Philadelphia 3 (Oct. 19); Philadelphia 4, Florida 3 (Oct. 27)
• Last season: Florida won 3-0
  
• All-time regular season series: Philadelphia leads 56-37-6, 7 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Toronto at Florida, Thursday, 7 p.m.