MONTREAL – The Florida Panthers will open the Canadian portion of their final road trip of 2025-26 with a matchup against the high-flying Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.
Sitting at 37-37-3, the Panthers opened their trip with back-to-back losses in Pittsburgh.
With five games left before getting a well-earned breather, the defending Stanley Cup champions want to finish as strong as they can.
“We want to bounce back,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “We want to come out and play. It’s a tough situation for everybody, but we want to be proud of how we try in this game.”
With more than half their usual roster already sidelined for the rest of the season due to injuries, the Panthers will be down another key player against the Canadiens as star forward Matthew Tkachuk has returned to South Florida to welcome his first child into the world.
On a tear since returning from offseason surgery, Tkachuk has recorded 32 points (13G, 19A) in 30 games this season.
With no Tkachuk, Mackie Samoskevich will slide up to the top line to play alongside Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe.
“Speed,” Maurice said of the line's strength. “Mackie’s had a tough year. He’s played so much better than his stats.”
Finally getting rewarded for his play, Samoskevich, who’s in his second full season with the Panthers, has scored in four of his last five games.
No strangers to one another, Samoskevich has spent 568:22 of ice time at 5-on-5 with Bennett since 2024-25.
“He plays with a lot of pace, and that’s kind of one of my strengths,” Samoskevich said of lining up alongside Bennett. “It’s a lot of fun. They’re very good in transition. Me and him, and obviously Hags (Veraheghe) has a lot of speed, too. It’ll make for a good combination.”
In net, Daniil Tarasov will appear in his third straight game for the Panthers.
Manning the crease in 29 games this season, he’s posted a 10-15-2 record with a 3.22 goals-against average and .892 save percentage.
With their ticket to the playoffs already punched, the Canadiens sit at 45-22-10 and have won eight of their last 10 games.
Looking to bounce back against Florida, the Canadiens saw their winning streak snapped at eight games in a 3-0 loss to New Jersey on Sunday. Owning the fifth-ranked offense in the NHL with 3.45 goals scored per game, Montreal was held without a goal at home for just the third time this season.
Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens in scoring with 95 points (27G, 68A), while Cole Caufield sits second with 85 points (49G, 36A). With one more goal, Caufield will become the first Canadiens skater to reach the 50-goal mark since Stephane Richer netted 51 during the 1989-90 season.
Since March 6, Caufield has scored 14 goals in 16 games.
“It’s so fun to watch,” Samoskevich said. “He’s definitely one of those guys you study and watch what he does.”
On the blue line, reigning Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson has built off his strong rookie campaign. In addition to leading Montreal’s blueliners, his 74 points (12G, 62A) are tied for the fourth-most among defensemen in the NHL.
Of Hutson's 74 points, 55 have come at even strength.
Between the pipes, Jakub Dobes has been the No. 1 for the Canadiens, posting a 27-8-4 record with a 2.73 goals-against average and .904 save percentage. Only 24 years old, Dobes shut out the Panthers in his NHL debut last season, stopping all 34 shots he faced in a 4-0 win on Dec. 28, 2024.
Per reports from Montreal's morning skate, Dobes is likely to start tonight.
Owning an 0-1-1- record against the Canadiens this season, the Panthers suffered a 6-2 loss in their last meeting on Jan. 8 in Montreal.
“When you play here, it’s so fun,” Samoskevich said of Bell Centre. "There’s always energy in the building. It might not be for you, but gives you energy and fires us up. I know the guys will be ready, for sure.”
THEY SAID IT
“He couldn’t move the puck very much. Good veteran captain. Wanted to be on the ice with the guys. Was chirping everybody out there. We appreciate it.” – Paul Maurice on Aaron Ekblad joining morning skate despite having a broken finger
“We just have to have the mindset to defend first and manage the puck. They’re very good in transition and very quick. Just being smart. If we don’t have anything, we don’t need to force anything.” – Mackie Samoskevich on defending Montreal’s potent offense
FIVE CATS STATS
- A.J. Greer has scored a team-high nine goals in the first period.
- Carter Verhaeghe has recorded 14 multi-point games.
- Over the past three seasons, Sam Bennett has scored five goals in 10 games vs. Montreal.
- The Panthers are 26-9-2 when scoring first this season.
- Six of Mackie Samoskevich’s 10 goals have been scored on the road.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Mackie Samoskevich
Jesper Boqvist – Eetu Luostarinen – A.J. Greer
Tomas Nosek – Cole Schwindt – Noah Gregor
Cole Reinhardt – Luke Kunin – Vinnie Hinostroza
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Dmitry Kulikov
Tobias Bjornfot – Seth Jones
Donovan Sebrango – Mike Benning
Goaltenders
Daniil Tarasov
Sergei Bobrovsky
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- April 5: D Mikulas Hovorka loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
- April 1: D Tobias Bjornfot and D Mikulas Hovorka recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- March 24: F Noah Gregor recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Tuesday, April 7 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Bell Centre – Montreal, QC
TV & Streaming: WSFL, WHDT, WFTX, PanthersPlus.TV
Radio: 560 WQAM-AM (Dade/Broward); 100.3 WCTH-FM (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR-FM (Treasure Coast); Panthers GameDay App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Cats on Tap: Click here
