The Florida Panthers get another big night from Brandon Montour…

The Florida Panthers have been consistently successful against the Buffalo Sabres in recent years, largely due to the addition of Brandon Montour in 2021.

Montour, a former Buffalo defenseman, played a significant role in Florida’s latest victory over the Sabres on Tuesday night. He assisted on the first two goals of the game and scored the game-winner in a 3-2 win.

The Panthers have now won nine of their last 11 games against the Sabres and are undefeated against them this season.

Tuesday night marked Montour’s eighth 3-point game with the Panthers, which ranks third all-time among defensemen behind Aaron Ekblad and Robert Svehla.

Montour has been on a hot streak, with 10 points in his last five games.

“We’re moving the puck well and gaining confidence,” Montour said. “Contributing offensively feels great, and I’m focused on playing my best hockey by April.”

Montour showcased his versatility on Tuesday, excelling in both offensive and defensive roles.

“He’s fast and agile, making him a one-man breakout,” said Matthew Tkachuk. “He sees the net well, finds open lanes, and gets his shots off quickly. When he scores, it’s usually a quick one-timer.”

Montour’s contributions began with a give-and-go play with Nick Cousins, leading to Sam Bennett’s opening goal. He later assisted on a power-play goal by Tkachuk and scored a power-play goal of his own with a powerful one-timer.

“He plays with energy and speed,” said Sergei Bobrovsky. “I’m glad to see him scoring and being valuable on both ends of the ice.”

Montour’s recent offensive success is a turnaround from earlier in the season, where he struggled to find the back of the net despite creating scoring opportunities.

“He had a lot of near-misses,” said coach Paul Maurice. “But he’s moving well, and I expect him to continue putting up points.”

In other news, Carter Verhaeghe left the game after taking a puck to the face but is expected to be fine. Bobrovsky has set a franchise record for consecutive games allowing two goals or fewer.