It certainly felt like a playoff game on Tuesday night in Montreal. The back end of a home-and-home between the Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens had a little bit of everything, but it was the hometown Habs who came out on top. A late goal and an overtime goal gave Montreal a resounding 3-2 victory and Florida more questions to answer.
For the second game in a row, it was Montreal striking first. Josh Anderson got positioning in front of the net on Uvis Balinskis and deflected a shot by Kaiden Guhle past a screened Vitek Vanecek to put the Habs up 1-0 just 4:43 into the game. About five minutes later, a faceoff in Montreal’s end led to the Panthers’ first goal of the game. Anton Lundell won the draw back to Niko Mikkola, and his shot tipped off the end of Habs defenseman Jake Evans’ stick and over the goal line.
Florida briefly thought they’d taken the lead, but the goal was quickly waived off. Uvis Balinskis fired a shot that went off the post and directly into A.J. Greer's skates. Greer dragged a skate that pushed the puck into the net, and officials initially said no goal, then changed their call after chatting with each other and went to video review, which ultimately led to a no goal call.
It took a little while longer, but the Panthers eventually got their first lead of the game, and of the season, over Montreal, coming on Florida’s first power play of the night. Rookie Mackie Samoskevich sent a wrist shot right along the ice that hit off Guhle on its way underneath Sam Montembeault with just 1:13 left in the middle frame.
Florida was able to hold on to the lead until quite literally the game’s final seconds. A failed clear attempt at the Panthers' blue line led to the puck being sent toward Florida’s net by Lane Hutson. The bouncing shot went through Sam Reinhart, who went down to his knees in an attempt to block it and instead ended up on the tape of Nick Suzuki with nothing to stop him from scoring with just 8.4 seconds left. It was the first shot on goal for Montreal in over eight minutes.
Never relinquishing possession after the overtime faceoff, it was Suzuki scoring again, this time on a wraparound goal. This one is going to sting. On to Toronto.
In a post-game analysis, Nick Suzuki reflected on the game, saying, "I thought we played really well, good enough to win. We weren’t in a position to do that until late. The boys battled hard all night. It was a really physical game. I thought we played a full 60."
Montreal’s Lane Hutson was once again in the spotlight, assisting on all three goals, which marked his 55th, 56th, and 57th assists this season, surpassing Chris Chelios for the franchise assists record by a rookie. Chelios had 55 assists during the 1984-85 season. Hutson now has 62 points overall, placing him in the top-ten for rookie defenders in NHL history.
Hutson’s performance has been a game-changer for the Canadiens, who are now holding the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 79 points, two points in front of both Columbus and the New York Rangers. With nine games left to play, and six of those at home, the Canadiens are in a strong position, but they need to keep executing.
The Canadiens have been on a roll, winning their fourth consecutive game against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Brendan Gallagher noted, "We’ve been building towards this. This is where you want to be. I thought we deserved one tonight. I thought we played a good hockey game. We’re desperate. I thought it would have hurt a little bit to lose that one. The hockey gods find a way of making it work."
On the other hand, the Panthers, under head coach Paul Maurice, were denied the 915th victory of his career, which would have moved him past Barry Trotz into third place in career wins. Maurice and Florida will try again Wednesday night against Toronto.
The game itself was a physical affair, with A.J. Greer colliding with teammate Nico Sturm early in the game, causing Sturm to leave the ice and not return. Meanwhile, the Canadiens were held to only three shots for most of the third period, which made Suzuki's tying goal with nine seconds left all the more dramatic.
As the Canadiens prepare for their next matchup, they will look to build on this momentum. The addition of Oliver Kapanen, who is expected to join the team after finishing his season in the Swedish Hockey League, could also provide a boost. Kapanen has been noted for his mature game and awareness on the ice, making him a perfect fit for the Canadiens' fourth line.
As the playoff race heats up, the Canadiens are proving to be a formidable contender, and with players like Hutson and Suzuki leading the charge, fans have plenty to be excited about. The team’s resilience and ability to capitalize on late-game opportunities could be the key to securing their playoff spot this season.
With the playoffs in sight, the Canadiens are ready to take on the challenges ahead, and if Tuesday’s game is any indication, they are more than capable of rising to the occasion.
