Verhaeghe and Bennett Make Panthers History in 8-3 Win Over Kraken

Florida’s 8-3 win over Seattle brought a rare pair of hat tricks and a historic scoring run into focus. Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett each scored three times Saturday, making them the first teammates in Panthers history to record hat tricks in the same game. Verhaeghe’s goals also extended a remarkable team streak: Florida became the first NHL team to have a player score a natural hat trick in three consecutive games.

The outburst came after a loss to Buffalo on Monday and capped a week in which the Panthers’ power play found its footing. Jacob Markström returned to the crease against Seattle and stopped 20 shots for his third win of the season, according to the source. The result was emphatic, though the individual and team records made it more than just a high scoring night.

Verhaeghe extends Florida’s hat trick run

Verhaeghe scored three consecutive goals against the Kraken. It was his fifth career hat trick, his fourth with Florida and his first since Feb. 2, 2025. The achievement followed Brady Tkachuk’s back-to-back natural hat tricks, giving Verhaeghe the next turn in a run that set an NHL mark for consecutive games with a Florida player scoring three straight goals.

A natural hat trick means one player scores three consecutive goals in a game. Florida’s feat spans three straight games, with a Panthers player completing one in each. That team context puts Verhaeghe’s latest milestone in a bigger frame: a personal scoring burst also extended a stretch of production that no NHL team had previously recorded.

For Florida, the challenge now is carrying the attack into a different game. A three goal performance can change the feel of a night, but it doesn’t guarantee the same openings in the next matchup. The Panthers will have to keep creating chances through their structure and special teams as opponents adjust to the threat.

Bennett joins him in the record book

Bennett arrived at Saturday’s game still looking for his first goal of the season. He opened the scoring, then added one in each of the next two periods to complete his fourth career hat trick. It was his first since Jan. 14, 2022, and it gave Florida a second three goal performance in the same game.

The timing made the milestone especially striking. Bennett’s first goal put Florida in front, and his later finishes ensured that the team’s scoring wasn’t built around Verhaeghe alone. The two forwards’ hat tricks marked the first time in Panthers history that teammates had each reached three goals in one game. It’s an unusually clear sign of how thoroughly Florida’s attack took over Saturday.

Even so, the final score needs context: Seattle scored three times, and Markström’s 20 saves came with a .870 save percentage. The source describes the Kraken as applying limited pressure, but the shot and save figures still show that Florida allowed goals while building its lead. The win highlights the Panthers’ scoring depth; it doesn’t erase the defensive work they’ll want to review.

Power play turns a corner

Florida’s special teams provided another measure of the week’s change. Before Monday, the Panthers had scored once on the power play. They went 2-for-4 against Buffalo, then 4-for-6 against Columbus. They didn’t convert on either of their two chances against Vancouver, but added two power play goals against Seattle.

That left Florida 9-for-43 on the season, a 20.9% success rate. The team had been 1-for-28 before its recent surge; across the games against Buffalo and Columbus, it converted six of 12 opportunities, then added Seattle’s two goals. The sequence suggests a unit that has begun to generate results after a slow start, though one strong stretch doesn’t settle whether the improvement will hold.

For a team coming off a loss, converting with the extra skater can change both the scoreboard and the rhythm of a game. Florida’s recent production gives the unit something to build on, while its overall season figure provides a reminder that the sample is still developing. Continued execution will matter more than one eight goal night.

Markström returns; Florida heads out on the road

Markström left Monday’s game with what the source described as “tightness” and didn’t skate in Florida’s next two games that week. He returned against Seattle, stopped 20 shots and improved his record to 3-1-1. His .870 save percentage in the game sits alongside the win and the shot total; neither figure alone tells the full story of his return.

At 36, managing his workload is part of the picture for Florida as the season continues. The source notes that Seattle put limited pressure on him, which may have helped ease his return after the time away. His next appearances will offer a clearer read on how quickly he settles back into the Panthers’ workload.

Florida’s next stop is Ottawa on Tuesday, followed by a Wednesday night matchup in Pittsburgh against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. The Panthers leave home with a historic scoring performance and a power play that has shown signs of life. The next test is whether that production travels when the schedule turns to back-to-back road games.