By Canadian Press

Weber scores two, Canadiens snap losing streak with 5-1 win over Panthers

Oct 24, 2017 | 8:15 PM

Montreal’s franchise players stepped up in a big way as the Canadiens notched their first regulation victory of the season.

The Canadiens ended their seven-game losing skid with a convincing 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

Shea Weber, with two, Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher and captain Max Pacioretty scored for the Habs, which had not won since their season opener. Carey Price stopped 26-of-27 shots.

“Our key guys showed up and played hard,” said Gallagher, who also had an assist. “Pacioretty scored, Galchenyuk got a goal, Weber got a couple. That’s what we need to be successful. When those guys step up and put it on their shoulders, that’s important.

“Once we got our first goal we started rolling from there.”

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Montreal (2-6-1) scored five goals for the first time this season. Claude Julien’s men had scored just two goals or fewer in every game this year expect for one — a 4-3 overtime loss against Toronto.

Coming into Tuesday’s matchup, Montreal had netted a combined five goals on the team’s winless California road trip (0-3-0).

“We’ve had some good opportunities in the last few games but we haven’t gotten the goals,” said Weber, who is tied with Gallagher for the team lead in goals with three. “It’s a step in the right direction. Our penalty kill was solid and obviously we got rewarded on the power play.”

Being back home, where Montreal was previously winless this season, sparked the team’s struggling offence.

Down 1-0, the Canadiens broke the game wide open with three goals in 1:35 in the second period.

Galchenyuk got the first, with the man advantage, at 16:44. The 23-year-old, who played on the fourth line with Nikita Scherbak and Michael McCarron, drove hard to the net and cashed in Gallagher’s rebound.

With the Habs again on the power play a minute later, Weber made it 2-1 with a slap shot from the top of the faceoff circle at 18:02, beating James Reimer glove side.

Gallagher scored 17 seconds later as he skipped over a sprawled-out Aaron Ekblad and beat Reimer while falling to the ice.

Montreal outshot Florida 15-6 in the second period and 37-27 in the game.

“There was a lot of weight that came off our shoulders,” said Julien. “Once we scored that second and third goals, our players started playing the way we expect them to play.

“They were skating well, managing the puck well, back-checking and moving the puck well in our neutral zone. Our speed was there tonight.”

Weber made it 4-1 midway through the third period with another slap shot from the top of the faceoff dot before Pacioretty sealed the encounter with his second of the season at 11:06.

Keith Yandle scored the only goal for the Panthers (3-5-0) while Reimer stopped 32-of-37 shots in defeat. Reimer got the start with Roberto Luongo still injured (right hand).

Yandle beat Price 20 seconds into the second period after a clever drop pass by Jonathan Huberdeau fooled the defence.

“We were in a real good position up 1-0,” said Panthers coach Bob Boughner. “I liked our game up to that point. Then we got into penalty trouble. Our first two penalty kills were great, then guys started to get tired and worn down and the momentum shifted.”

Montreal finished 2-for-4 with the extra skater.

Scherbak and McCarron, who were recalled from the Laval Rocket of the AHL on Monday, were making their season debuts.

Notes: Jonathan Drouin had two assists. … The Canadiens did not concede a goal in the first period for the first time this season. … The Panthers claimed goaltender Antti Niemi off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

Kelsey Patterson, The Canadian Press