The Montreal Canadiens continued their late-season surge Tuesday night, rallying in dramatic fashion to defeat the Florida Panthers 4–3 in a shootout after captain Nick Suzuki delivered a clutch late equalizer in regulation. The victory marked Montreal’s ninth win in its last 10 games and further strengthened the club’s momentum heading toward the postseason.
Montreal sealed the extra-point victory in the shootout when Cole Caufield and Alexandre Texier each found the back of the net, lifting the Canadiens past a Panthers team that continues to struggle through a difficult finish to its season.
Suzuki’s heroics came at a crucial moment late in the third period, tying the game and forcing overtime after Florida had appeared poised to close things out. His goal set the stage for Montreal’s eventual shootout success and highlighted the Canadiens’ resilience during their recent hot stretch.
Ivan Demidov and Phillip Danault scored Montreal’s two regulation goals earlier in the contest, while Juraj Slafkovsky contributed a strong playmaking performance with two assists. Goaltender Jakub Dobes was steady once again between the pipes, stopping 30 shots to earn his sixth consecutive victory.
Despite converting in the shootout, Caufield remained one goal shy of the 50-goal milestone for the third straight game. After scoring twice last Thursday against the New York Rangers, the dynamic winger has now gone three consecutive games without a goal for the first time since a four-game drought from Jan. 8 to Jan. 12.
Florida received regulation goals from Eetu Luostarinen, Carter Verhaeghe and Cole Reinhardt, but the Panthers were unable to hold off Montreal’s late push. Daniil Tarasov turned aside 29 shots in a solid effort that ultimately fell short as Florida dropped its eighth straight game against the Canadiens.
The Panthers’ challenges this season have been compounded by roster absences. Forward Matthew Tkachuk missed Tuesday’s contest for the birth of his first child, adding to an already extensive list of unavailable players. More than half of Florida’s usual roster is sidelined after three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final, and the two-time reigning champions entered the night ranked 27th overall in the league and officially out of playoff contention.
Montreal, meanwhile, welcomed forwards Kirby Dach and Texier back into the lineup. Veteran Brendan Gallagher was a healthy scratch, and Joe Veleno was unavailable due to illness.
With momentum continuing to build at the right time, the Canadiens now turn their attention to a Thursday home matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Panthers will look to regroup on the road the same night when they visit the Ottawa Senators.
