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Canadiens Preview: First Place In Eastern Conference In Sight
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- Canadiens Preview: First Place In Eastern Conference In Sight
Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens (24-13-6) are set to face the Florida Panthers (22-17-3), with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
This will be the second leg of back-to-back games for the Canadiens, and while that may be considered a negative factor in most seasons, it could end up being an advantage for a team that continues to improve on a nightly basis.
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The Habs enjoyed one of their most dominant games on Wednesday night versus the Calgary Flames , as rookie netminder Jacob Fowler secured his fourth win of the season by stopping 28 of the 29 shots sent his way. The offence came from throughout the lineup, a great sign when it comes to Montreal's encouraging playoff odds . If the Canadiens do manage to beat the Panthers, they could end the night as the top team in the Eastern Conference.
Even though Alex Texier is not considered a long-term solution to the gap on the first line, there's absolutely no doubt he's done a great job in a pinch. Texier has registered two of the best game scores this season, including Wednesday night's game versus the Flames, loosening phenom Lane Hutson 's grip on the top Canadiens performances in 2025-26.
Florida should present the Habs with a tougher hill to climb, though it should be noted the Canadiens have had their way with the Panthers in the last two seasons. In fact, the last time Montreal lost to the Panthers was on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
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It remains to be seen if Brad Marchand will take part in the game, but if he does, there's a decent chance the Canadiens will want to seek some semblance of revenge for his ugly elbow on Mike Matheson the last time these teams met.
The NHL decided it was not a play that merited a suspension, let a lone a fine, a testament to the fantastic work done by the misnomer that is the Department of Player Safety.
For the view from the other side of the rink, make sure to visit our sister site Florida Hockey Now .
Lineup Changes, Starting Goalie
Seeing as Jacob Fowler and Samuel Montembeault started the last two games, logic dictates that head coach Martin St-Louis will turn to Jakub Dobes on Thursday.
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Dobes, 24, is currently sporting an .889 save percentage, and has not lost a game in regulation since December 9. Of course, it helps that the Canadiens seem to be intent on keeping a three-goalie rotation in place, a situation that will eventually have to be addressed by management.
As for the rest of the lineup, expect it to be very similar to the setup that was used on Wednesday, with both Jake Evans and Josh Anderson missing the important Atlantic Division matchup.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Alex Texier
Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Zachary Bolduc - Phillip Danault – Brendan Gallagher
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Samuel Blais – Joe Veleno – Owen Beck
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Lane Hutson – Alex Carrier
Jakub Dobes
Florida Panthers Projected Lineup
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Brad Marchand – Sam Bennett – Carter Verhaeghe
Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – A.J. Greer
Jesper Boqvist – Luke Kunin – Jack Studnicka
Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad
How To Watch The Habs Vs.The Panthers
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Florida Panthers, Thursday, January 8, 2026, will be aired on TSN2 and RDS. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle blows.
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