Alexandre Texier keeps lighting the lamp — and the Montreal Canadiens keep rolling. Texier recorded a hat trick for his second straight three-point performance as the Canadiens cruised past the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 6-2 on Thursday night. Montreal extended its winning streak to three games overall and continued its recent dominance of Florida, beating the Panthers for the seventh consecutive time.
Texier followed up a goal and two assists in Wednesday’s 4-1 win over Calgary with an even bigger night, scoring three times to pace the Canadiens. Noah Dobson, Oliver Kapanen and Juraj Slafkovsky also found the back of the net as Montreal overwhelmed Florida with speed and sustained pressure.
Samuel Montembeault was solid in net, stopping 24 shots in his first start at Bell Centre since Dec. 2. The goaltender has now won all three of his starts since being recalled from his conditioning assignment with the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League on Dec. 27, giving Montreal another boost during its surge.
Florida’s offense came from Sam Bennett, who scored both Panthers goals, but the defending champions never fully recovered after falling behind early. Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 14 saves in a tough night as Montreal capitalized on its chances.
The Panthers have now dropped the first two games of a six-game road trip and were shorthanded without leading scorer Brad Marchand. Marchand is listed as day-to-day after leaving Tuesday’s 4-1 loss at Toronto with an undisclosed injury.
Montreal, meanwhile, continued to show confidence and balance throughout its lineup, controlling play and frustrating Florida for much of the night.
Up next, the Panthers visit Ottawa on Saturday night as they look to steady themselves on the road. The Canadiens will stay home to host Detroit on Saturday night, aiming to keep their momentum — and their mastery of Florida — firmly intact.
