Florida @ Montreal preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 29, 2019 ) Montreal 5, Florida 6

The Florida Panthers look to continue the momentum they built before the All-Star break when they go after a seventh consecutive victory Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens. The Panthers won the last three during their season-high six-game streak on the road, capped by a 4-3 triumph at Chicago on Jan. 21, and will go to Toronto and Columbus after taking on the Canadiens.

“We want to make sure that we recapture the way we went into the break,” Florida coach Joel Quenneville told reporters. “We were playing some of our best hockey and coming off a real good start to this road (swing). Let’s continue on knowing that the teams we’re going to be playing are ready.” The Panthers have won five of the last eight meetings, including a 6-5 victory at home Dec. 29 as Jonathan Huberdeau and captain Aleksander Barkov each provided a pair of goals. Montreal is trying to climb back into the race for a playoff position in the Eastern Conference after winning three of four, following a 3-1 victory over Buffalo on Thursday as Carey Price turned aside 20 shots and the Canadiens battled back from a first-period deficit. “I told them if we want to win some hockey games, they’re going to have to be 2-1, 3-2, whatever,” Montreal coach Claude Julien told reporters. “We can’t get into those run-and-gun games. We did a good job after that 10-minute mark. I don’t think they had a ton of chances.”

TIME: 2 p.m. ET. TV: FS Florida, RDS, TSN2

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (28-16-5): Right wing Evgenii Dadonov had nine goals in 10 games during January to take over the team lead with 23 and hopes to continue his roll for an offense that entered Friday leading the league (3.67) and 7-for-20 on the power play during the win streak. Huberdeau recorded 11 of his team-leading 65 points in the last eight contests and Barkov boasts three goals and six assists during a five-game point streak. Left wing Mike Hoffman owns five goals and eight assists during a 10-game point streak to tie Dadonov for third on the team with 40 points while defenseman Keith Yandle (99 career goals) had five of his 39 points in the past three contests.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (23-22-7): Price raised his level of play in January with a .934 save percentage and Julien told reporters he will be riding the former Hart Trophy winner as the team tries to make a run. Left wing Tomas Tatar had a goal and an assist in the win against Buffalo to improve his team-leading total to 46 points - seven coming in the past five games - while center Phillip Danault (37 points) scored once and set up five others during the same span. Brendan Gallagher scored a goal Thursday after missing 10 of the previous 11 games with a concussion and fellow right wing Joel Armia (13 goals) added a pair of assists versus the Sabres.

OVERTIME

1. Montreal LW Ilya Kovalchuk scored his fourth goal in four games Thursday and has nine points in 10 contests since being signed.

2. Florida G Sergei Bobrovsky (19-12-4, .898 SP) has won his last four starts, allowing 10 goals combined.

3. The Canadiens sent rookie D Cale Fleury (one goal, 41 games) to AHL Laval on Friday.

PREDICTION: Canadiens 3, Panthers 2