The Montreal Canadiens continue their quest for a Wild Card spot with a home date against the defending Stanley Cup champions tonight.
My Panthers vs. Canadiens predictions see star winger Cole Caufield coming up big and making noise offensively — as he’s done consistently all year long.
Let’s break things down further with my NHL picks for Tuesday, April 1.
Canadiens vs Panthers prediction
My Canadiens pick: Cole Caufield 1+ points (-140 at BET99)
My Canadiens analysis
Cole Caufield is having the best offensive season of his young career. He has already blown past his previous high in goals (28) and sits just two points back of his career-best with nine more games to play.
He has routinely hit the scoresheet all season long and quickly bounced back after a quiet game or two. In fact, since early November, Caufield has gone more than two games in a row without a point only once.
The Montreal Canadiens are back on home soil after a couple of extremely difficult road matchups in Carolina and Florida. That means Martin St. Louis will be able to get Caufield more ice time against the opposing team’s top defensive players, which will help his cause.
Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers are fighting for the top spot in the Atlantic Division and have a crucial game against Toronto on Wednesday. They will opt to start backup netminder Vitek Vanecek tonight as a result, preserving Sergei Bobrovsky for the Leafs.
To say that will benefit Caufield and the Canadiens’ offense would be an understatement. Vanecek owns horrific surface level stats (.884 SV%, 3.43 GAA) and also ranks bottom-5 in Goals Saved Above Expected per 60 minutes.
Vanecek has allowed three or more goals in two of three games against the Cats, and I expect Caufield to take advantage of the goalie's struggles.
Canadiens vs Panthers same-game parlay (SGP)
Cole Caufield Over 0.5 points
Lane Hutson Over 0.5 points
Montreal Canadiens +1.5
Lane Hutson continues to score at a ridiculous rate. The dynamic rookie defenseman has 10 points over his last nine games, serving as a driving force for the Canadiens in their push for a playoff spot.
He is especially hot on home soil, where he’s produced points in five of the last six — failing only against a powerhouse Colorado team. Hutson shares the ice a lot with Caufield at 5v5 and quarterbacks the top power play, so there is a lot of correlation between the two players.
With so much riding on this game and an edge between the pipes, the Canadiens should be able to keep this game close. They’ve done a great job of doing so on home soil, last losing a game by multiple goals on February 9th against Tampa Bay.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Canadiens vs Panthers odds
Canadiens vs Panthers live odds
Canadiens vs Panthers opening odds
- Puck line: Montreal +164 | Florida -187
- Moneyline: Montreal +1.5 (-159) | Florida -1.5 (+137)
- Over/Under: Over 6 (-107) | Under 6 (-107)
Odds courtesy of BET99
Canadiens vs Panthers trend
Caufield has registered points in six of his last seven games against Florida. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Panthers.
How to watch Canadiens vs Panthers
| Location | Bell Centre, Montreal, QC |
| Date | Tuesday, 4-1-2025 |
| Puck drop | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | TSN2 |
Canadiens vs Panthers latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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