Montreal Canadiens Run Past Florida Panthers, Stay in Playoff Hunt

The Florida Panthers played one of their worst first periods in some time Saturday night in Montreal, giving up a pair of goals to the Canadiens.

The second was markedly better.

It ultimately did not matter.

Montreal got a goal off a turnover midway through the third in a game it never trailed, beating the Panthers 3-1 to stay in a tight wild-card race in the Eastern Conference.

The Panthers, after winning six straight, have lost two of the first three on this six-game road trip which continues Sunday on Long Island.

Montreal is a point back of the New York Rangers for the final wild-card position.

The good news for the Panthers was they retain a four-point lead atop the Atlantic after Toronto lost to the Senators. Tampa Bay and the Leafs are four points back.

Florida trailed 1-0 on a power-play goal from Patrik Laine — then won a challenge for goalie interference on Brendan Gallagher on a goal from Alex Newhook.

The Canadiens still made it 2-0 on a turnover deep in the zone, and went into the intermission up by that score.

Florida played a strong second, and trailed 2-1 going into the third after Mackie Samoskevich scored off a beaut of a shot from the bottom of the left circle.

In the third, however, a Sam Bennett turnover led to Christian Dvorak goal that restored Montreal’s two-goal lead — and gave the Canadiens their second win over the Panthers this season.

Sam Montembeault, the former Florida goalie, made 21 saves in the win.

NOTES: PANTHERS @ CANADIENS

• Jesper Boqvist played in his 300th NHL game on Saturday night.
• With 13 goals, Samoskevich is tied for third (Will Smith) among rookies this season. Matvei Michkov and Macklin Celebrini both have 20.
• The Panthers play their third game in four nights when they visit the Islanders on Sunday.

HOW THEY SCORED

• Canadiens 1, Panthers 0 (5:15 1st PP): Patrik Laine rips one bar-down from the left circle after getting two other cracks at Sergei Bobrovsky with the advantage. Laine has 13 power-play goals this season.
• Canadiens 2, Panthers 0 (15:56 1st): Sasha Barkov’s clearing pass goes off Seth Jones’ stick deep in the Florida zone, Cole Caufield gets it, spins and shoots it past Bobrovsky.
• Canadiens 2, Panthers 1 (3:51 2nd): Mackie Samoskevich gets his sixth in his past 11 games by flying around the net and whipping one from the left circle pas Sam Montembeault with Sam Bennett running blocker.
• Canadiens 3, Panthers 1 (8:11 3rd): Bennett’s clearing pass gets picked off and David Savard’s point shot gets deflected by Christian Dvorak that bangs off the post and in.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

• 1. Sam Montembeault, Montreal
• 2. Cole Caufield, Montreal
• 3. Mackie Samoskevich, Florida

ON DECK: GAME No. 68

FLORIDA PANTHERS at NEW YORK ISLANDERS 

• When: Sunday, 7:30 p.m.
• Where: UBS Arena; Elmont, N.Y.
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• Streaming: Panthers+; ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last Season: Islanders Won 2-1
• This Season (Panthers Lead 2-0) — At Islanders: Panthers 6, Islanders 3 (Oct. 26); March 16. At Florida: Panthers 6, Islanders 3 (Feb. 2).
• All-time Regular Season Series: Panthers lead 59-34-11, 8 ties
• Next Up for the Panthers: Thursday at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.