The Montreal Canadiens secured a hard-fought 4-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Sunday, with captain Nick Suzuki delivering the game-winning goal early in the third period. Suzuki’s snap shot found the back of the net with 17:58 remaining, breaking a 2-2 tie and propelling Montreal to an important win.
Suzuki’s goal was set up by Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson, both of whom played key roles in Montreal’s offensive efforts. The Canadiens also received goals from Patrik Laine, Brendan Gallagher, and Slafkovsky, highlighting a well-rounded attack. Hutson’s standout performance included three assists, bringing his total to 14 multi-assist games this season—tying Larry Murphy (1980-81) for the second-most by a rookie defenseman in NHL history. Only Chris Chelios (16 in 1984-85) has more.
Florida kept the game competitive with goals from Seth Jones and Sam Reinhart, but they were unable to overcome Montreal’s late push. Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky recorded 18 saves but struggled to keep the Canadiens at bay in the final period.
Canadiens netminder Samuel Montembeault played a crucial role in the victory, stopping 24 shots to help secure the win. His solid play down the stretch prevented Florida from mounting a comeback.
With Florida pressing for an equalizer in the final minutes, Gallagher capitalized on an empty-net opportunity, scoring with 1:44 left to put the game out of reach. Gallagher has been in excellent form, tallying three goals and five assists over his last seven games.
The Canadiens have been competitive in their last 10 games, going 4-3-3, while the Panthers have been more inconsistent at 5-5-0 over the same stretch. Both teams will face off again in a rematch on Tuesday, as the Panthers look to bounce back and Montreal aims to build on their momentum.
