SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers have had a tradition in their last few, high-octane seasons: Every time they score their fifth goal, the sweet sounds of Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5” wash over FLA Live Arena to celebrate a surprisingly common feat.
On Thursday, Bega’s No. 1 hit played with 9:27 still left in the first period and the scoring didn’t stop. A few minutes later, the Panthers set a franchise record for most goals in a period and teamed up with the Montreal Canadiens for the NHL’s highest-scoring period since the high-scoring 1980s. They’d go on to rout the Canadiens, 9-5.
When the final whistle blew on the first period and both teams headed back to their locker rooms for the first intermission, Florida led 7-3. It was only the 10th time in NHL history two teams combined for at least 10 goals in a period and the first since the Blackhawks and Blues did it in 1988.
