MONTREAL — The Bell Centre witnessed a night for the history books on Tuesday. Not only did the Montreal Canadiens orchestrate a heart-stopping comeback victory against the Florida Panthers, but captain Nick Suzuki officially cemented his legacy by reaching the elusive 100-point milestone in a single season.
The Captain’s Century
Entering the game five points shy of the mark, few expected Suzuki to hit the century mark in a single night. However, No. 14 was a man on a mission. Suzuki tallied two goals and three assists, including the secondary helper on the game-winning goal, to become the first Hab to reach 100 points since the legendary era of the 1980s.
The crowd erupted in a five-minute standing ovation, chanting his name as the scoreboard flashed the historic «100» logo.
The Epic Comeback
The game itself was a rollercoaster. The Florida Panthers, playing for pride after being eliminated from playoff contention, came out swinging and held a commanding 3-1 lead heading into the third period.
But the Canadiens, fueled by the energy of the «Hockey Fights Cancer» 50/50 raffle night and the presence of the UQTR Patriotes champions, refused to go down. Montreal scored three goals in the final ten minutes of play. The comeback was capped off by a blistering slapshot from the point that sent the Montreal faithful into a frenzy, securing two vital points as the team battles for the top seed in the Atlantic Division.