SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers will look to carry some momentum into their matchup with the Montreal Canadiens at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.
Less than 24 hours ago, the “Comeback Cats” came from behind yet again to defeat the Washington Capitals by a score of 5-3 in the first half of their back-to-back in Sunrise.
Sitting at 21-15-2, the Panthers, who’ve won nine of their last 12 games, trail the Canadiens, who sit at 20-12-6, by two points for third place in the Atlantic Division.
“Just leaving it here tonight,” defenseman Aaron Ekblad said of the quick turnaround between games after beating Washington. “Come back tomorrow against a real good Montreal Canadiens team. I’ve always thought they were extremely fast and dangerous.”
Erasing a pair of one-goal deficits against the Capitals, Ekblad scored the go-ahead goal at 13:12 of the third period to put the Panthers up 4-3 with the eventual game-winning tally.
Anton Lundell, Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart also scored against the Capitals, while Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves to earn his 446th career win and claim eighth place on the NHL’s all-time list, surpassing Terry Sawchuk (445) and moving closer to Curtis Joseph (454).
“That’s what he does,” Reinhart said of the two-time Vezina Trophy winner. “We’re a team where we’re trying to be aggressive, and the breakdowns that we do have, Bobby is constantly there making the big stop for us.”
Entering tonight’s matchup looking to extend his second eight-game point streak of the season, Marchand leads the Panthers in goals (22), assists (22) and points (44).
Prior to puck drop, the Panthers will honor Marchand with a special ceremony for becoming the 102nd player in NHL history hit the 1,000-point mark, a feat he achieved on Nov. 13.
With Bobrovsky getting the nod against Washington, it’s likely the Panthers turn to backup goaltender Daniil Tarasov against the Canadiens. In 12 appearances this season, Tarasov has posted a 4-6-1 record with a 2.97 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.
Stay tuned for lineup information following Paul Maurice’s media availability this afternoon.
On a five-game point streak, the Canadiens are on the fourth stop of a seven-game road trip. In their most-recent outing, they suffered a 5-4 shootout loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday. Falling behind 3-0, Montreal battled back to walk away with one point against the Lightning.
With the “C” on his sweater, Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens in scoring with 42 points (11G, 31A). In second, Cole Caufield has tallied 37 points (18G, 19A), while defenseman Lane Hutson, the NHL’s reigning Calder Trophy winner, is third with 36 points (5G, 31A).
Former Panther Sam Montembeault is expected to get the start for Montreal. In 15 appearances this season, he’s gone 5-6-1 with a .857 save percentage. In 10 games against his former club, Montembeault has posted a 4-4-1 record with a .892 save percentage.
“Some awesome players over there,” Ekblad said.
Lethal with the extra attacker, Montreal ranks fourth in the NHL on the power play at 25%.
This is the first of three meetings between the Panthers and Canadiens this season.
THEY SAID IT
“It’s the style of game that we play. When we’re down, we’re not opening things up and giving up chances. I think we’re sticking to our game knowing that we have the ability to comeback and score a goal. We were able to do it again tonight, which I just think speaks to the guys.” -- Jeff Petry on coming from behind to beat the Capitals
“He’s easily one of the best players I’ve ever coached. Fifty-seven goal guy and a Selke [Trophy] nominee, power play, penalty kill, we’ve asked a lot out of him this year. I would think probably in the last four years, there might not be a man in the history of the game that’s played more hockey than he has in that block of time. He finds a way, always, to produce. He’s just a brilliant player with great hands.” -- Paul Maurice on Sam Reinhart
FIVE CATS STATS
- Aaron Ekblad has recorded 16 points (5G, 11A) in 32 career games vs. Montreal.
- Brad Marchand has scored six goals during his eight-game point streak.
- Sam Reinhart has registered five three-point games this season.
- Anton Lundell has lit the lamp in seven of his last 12 games.
- Jesper Boqvist is one point away from his 100th NHL point.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
FORWARDS
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand
Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – A.J. Greer
Jesper Boqvist – Luke Kunin – Jack Studnicka
DEFENSEMEN
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry
Goaltenders
Daniil Tarasov
Sergei Bobrovsky
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- Dec. 1: F Jack Studnicka was recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Tuesday, December 30 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, FL
TV & Streaming: WSFL, WHDT, WFTX, PanthersPlus.TV
Radio: 104.3 WQAM-FM/560 WQAM-AM (Dade/Broward); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); Panthers GameDay App; SiriusXM 219/App & Streaming 931
Tickets: Click Here
