Panthers 7, Flyers 1
SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers' opening night was so good that the club set a record in the process.
Florida scored an NHL-record four times in the game's first seven minutes, and right wingers Jaromir Jagr and Reilly Smith each scored twice as the Panthers blitzed the Philadelphia Flyers 7-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 19,424 at BB&T Center on Saturday night.
Center Vincent Trocheck, center Nick Bjugstad, newcomer Smith and left winger Jussi Jokinen led the attack with goals in the first period.
The four goals by Florida (1-0-0) in 6:46 set a modern NHL record for the fastest four tallies to start a season.
Trocheck also collected three assists to round out his four-point night.
Jagr scored in the first minute of the second and third periods, giving him 724 career markers.
Florida scored three goals on the power play, which was a liability for the team last season.
Defenseman Mark Streit scored a power-play goal for Philadelphia (0-1-1).
Goaltender Roberto Luongo made 29 saves to earn the win for Florida. Philadelphia goaltender Steve Mason was pulled in the first period after giving up four goals on eight shots.
Luongo was accidentally hit on the top of the head by the stick of Florida defenseman Willie Mitchell with 4:41 left. He stayed down for a couple of minutes after play was stopped but finished the game.
The Panthers (1-0-0) had an onslaught against the Flyers (0-1-1) in the game's first 6:46 that for all purposes decided the outcome.
Trocheck, playing in his first season opener, raced in and collected a long shot on goal by Jokinen and beat Mason five-hole with a wrist shot 1:23 into the game.
Florida's power play, ranked an anemic 24th in the NHL last season, then took over and showed immediate improvement.
With Philadelphia's Scott Laughton off for tripping, the Panthers quickly set up the man-advantage and scored 18 seconds into the play as Bjugstad's wrister from the top of the left circle off a pass from reigning Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Aaron Ekblad beat Mason on the glove side to make it 2-0.
Michael Raffl drew a hooking minor less than a minute later and Smith cashed with a spin and forehand near the crease to beat Mason for a 3-0 edge.
Mason was chased one minute later when Jokinen tapped in an easy even-strength goal off Trockeck's shot that caromed off the right post and in front of the crease, which was unmanned after Mason came out to meet Trocheck.
Michal Neuvirth, acquired in the offseason as a free agent, replaced Mason after the fourth tally. Jagr beat Neuvirth after a nifty centering pass by Aleksander Barkov into the slot 33 seconds into the second period for a 5-0 lead.
Streit scored a power-play goal 3:01 later for the Flyers to stem the barrage, but the Panthers skated off after two periods with a 5-1 lead.
NOTES: The Flyers, who played in the NHL's first ever 3-on-3 overtime game against Tampa Bay on Thursday, scratched C Vincent Lecavalier, D Radko Gudas and C Sam Gagner. ... Philadelphia was playing in multiple home openers on their first road trip for the third time in five years. The Flyers also did it in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. The Flyers return to Florida in March. ... Panthers executive chairman Peter Luukko stressed the importance of adding RW Jaromir Jagr to the club last February: "I think it's real important. His work ethic is second to none," Luukko said. "We've got a young group that's really talented, but guys like him, Willie Mitchell and Shawn Thornton can bring those guys forward." Luukko, 56, oversaw the Flyers for 25 years and had Jagr for the 2011-12 season. ... Florida rookie LW Connor Brickley made his NHL debut on the fourth line with RW Shawn Thornton and C Derek MacKenzie. ... RW Quinton Howden, D Dylan Olsen and D Steven Kampfer were scratched by Florida. ... The clubs meet again Monday in the Flyers' home opener.