Panthers GameDay at Canadiens: How to Watch, Lines, Goalies, Odds

The Florida Panthers have lost their past six games to the Montreal Canadiens — including a rough one just last week — and will try to snap that losing skid tonight in Quebec without a major piece to their lineup.

Florida added yet another high-profile player to their injured list on Thursday with Paul Maurice saying that Brad Marchand would not play.

Marchand, Maurice said, is day-to-day and could return Saturday in Ottawa.

Among Florida’s injured players: Top 6 forwards Sasha Barkov, Marchand, and Matthew Tkachuk, as well as defensemen Seth Jones and Dmitry Kulikov.

The Panthers have not fared very well against the Canadiens lately going 0-4 against them last year.

Last Tuesday night, the Panthers had a 2-0 lead late in the third before the Canadiens roared back to force overtime — with Nick Suzuki getting his second on a power-play in OT for a 3-2 win.

“We keep going into overtime, and that’s not a good recipe,’’ Maurice quipped when asked why the Panthers struggle with the Canadiens so much.

“They’re a better team, for sure. Every team in the NHL has a style and I think, in some ways, Montreal is a new team, a new style of game. Because theirs is still changing, right? As they become more mature, it takes you a while to pattern the team. There are certain teams that have been in the league a long time, and played that style.

“When Tampa and Florida get together, we know exactly what that’s going to look like. We have to understand Montreal is an evolving, changing, highly-skilled team.’’

NOTES: PANTHERS AT CANADIENS

• Tkachuk continues to practice with the Panthers and his return appears imminent perhaps as early as Saturday against younger brother Brady in Ottawa.
• Starting Goalies: Sergei Bobrovsky is back in net for the Panthers; the Canadiens have not announced a starter since they played last night but Sam Montembeault got a win against the Panthers last week and is expected to get the call. Montembeault did not skate in this morning’s workout so it appears to be a safe bet that he’ll go.
• How to Watch/Stream: The Panthers are back on local television tonight; to stream, use Panthers+ locally or ESPN+.
• NHL Betting Odds: The Panthers are a slight favorite (-115) on the money line at the local book. To win with the Panthers, a $115 bet wins $100.

ON DECK: GAME No. 43

FLORIDA PANTHERS at MONTREAL CANADIENS 

• When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Bell Centre, Montreal
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FtL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla) 
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 931 or 932, NHL App
• Local Betting Odds — Panthers Favored: MoneyLine (-115); Puck Line -1.5 (+180); O/U 6.5 (+105/-130)
• Last Season: Canadiens won 4-0
• This Season (Canadiens lead 1-0) — At Montreal: Thursday; April 7. At Florida: Canadiens 3, Panthers 2 OT (Dec. 30).
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 58-43-11, 6 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Saturday at Ottawa Senators, 7

PROJECTED FLORIDA PANTHERS (22-17-3) LINES

27 Eetu Luostarinen // 15 Anton Lundell // 13 Sam Reinhart

23 Carter Verhaeghe // 9 Sam Bennett // 10 A.J. Greer

70 Jesper Boqvist // 17 Evan Rodrigues // 11 Mackie Samoskevich

18 Noah Gregor // 71 Luke Kunin // 53 Jack Studnicka

42 Gus Forsling // 5 Aaron Ekblad

77 Niko Mikkola // 26 Uvis Balinskis

6 Donovan Sebrango // 2 Jeff Petry

72 Sergei Bobrovsky

40 Daniil Tarasov

Scratched: Jack Studnicka, Toby Bjornfot

Injured: Brad Marchand (lower body), Seth Jones (upper body), Sasha Barkov (knee), Matthew Tkachuk (lower body), Tomas Nosek (knee), Dmitry Kulikov (shoulder), Jonah Gadjovich (upper body), Cole Schwindt (broken arm)

PROJECTED MONTREAL CANADIENS (24-13-6) LINES

13 Cole Caufield // 14 Nick Suzuki // 85 Alexandre Texier

20 Juraj Slafkovsky // 91 Oliver Kapanen // 93 Ivan Demidov

76 Zachary Bolduc // 24 Phillip Danault // 11 Brendan Gallagher

27 Sammy Blais // 90 Joe Veleno // 62 Owen Beck

8 Mike Matheson // 53 Noah Dobson

48 Lane Hutson // 45 Alexandre Carrier

72 Arber Xhekaj // 47 Jayden Struble

35 Sam Montembeault

75 Jakub Dobes

Scratched: Jacob Fowler

Injured: Kirby Dach (broken foot), Alex Newhook (broken ankle), Kaiden Guhle (lower body), Patrik Laine (lower body), Jake Evans (lower body), Josh Anderson (upper body)