Florida Panthers vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction, Preview and Odds - 04/01/2025

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Venue:  Centre Bell, Montréal, QC

Where to Watch:  ESPN+

DraftKings:  Moneyline:  Panthers -192, Canadiens +160; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Bet365:  Moneyline:  Panthers -190, Canadiens +160; Over/Under:  6 goals

BetMGM:  Moneyline:  Panthers -190, Canadiens +150; Over/Under:  6 goals

Florida Panthers:  44-26-3 (3rd place, Atlantic Division)

Montreal Canadiens:  34-30-9 (5th place, Atlantic Division)

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Florida Panthers:  5-5-0 last 10

Montreal Canadiens:  4-3-3 last 10

The Panthers are entering this game with 91 points, a 44-26-3 record overall, and they are 20-15-1 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Montreal Canadiens in their last game, losing that one at home 4-2. Seth Jones and Sam Reinhart each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Aleksander Barkov led the team in assists with 2 while Carter Verhaeghe led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Sergei Bobrovsky was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 21 shots with 18 saves and a .857 save percentage. Their offense has scored 233 goals this season averaging 3.2 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 198 goals against them allowing 2.7 goals per game.

The Canadiens are entering this game with 77 points, a 34-30-9 record overall, and they are 18-12-5 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Florida Panthers in their last game, winning that one on the road 4-2. Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovský, Brendan Gallagher, and Patrik Laine each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Lane Hutson led the team in assists with 3 while Brendan Gallagher led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Sam Montembeault was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 2 goals on 26 shots with 24 saves and a .923 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 220 goals this season averaging 3 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 246 goals against them allowing 3.4 goals per game.

The current betting odds have the Panthers listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Panthers have looked good in their games this season with their 44-26-3 record overall which has them in 3rd place of their division in the East and in a playoff spot. They have also been a good road team this year with their 20-15-1 road record. Meanwhile, the Canadiens haven't looked great in their games this season with their 34-30-9 record overall which has them in 5th place of their division in the East, but that record has them right in the last Wild Card spot and fighting in a tight race. They have looked better on home ice this season with their 18-12-5 home record, but they haven't been a great home team and weren't even in the playoff race until recently getting hot. They started to go on a bit of a run to get into this position, but now they have cooled off a bit as they are 4-3-3 in their last 10 games. The Panthers haven't been any better lately as they are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games, but they are coming off a loss at home to the Canadiens in their last one so they will be looking to get that game back here. The Panthers are going to bring their best effort in this game, not only to bounce back and get their revenge on the Canadiens, but also to play spoiler for the Canadiens' playoff chances. The Panthers are also in a tight race themselves as they are tied for home advantage with the Lightning in their division, and the division is still up for grabs too so they have every reason to keep playing until the final game of the regular season. The best way to place a bet here is on the Panthers to win this game and on the puckline. 

Panthers Canadiens Prediction:  Our NHL Pick for Tuesday, April 1, 2025 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Panthers 5 Canadiens 2.

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Florida Panthers: 32-50 (-6.2 units) on the moneyline as a home underdog of +100 to +200. 49-95 (-6.6 units) on the moneyline against explosive offensive teams - scoring 3+ goals/game. 17-39 (-4.8 units) on the moneyline against good possession teams-averaging 3+ more shots on goal than opp. 35-19 UNDER against good possession teams-averaging 3+ more shots on goal than opp.

Montreal Canadiens: 49-27 (+10.1 units) on the moneyline as a road favorite of -200 or less. 72-34 (+7.7 units) on the moneyline when playing against a team with a losing record. 160-105 (+12.8 units) on the moneyline against mistake free teams - opponents average 4 power plays/game or less. 29-21 UNDER revenging a loss vs opponent as a home favorite.

Florida Panthers:  D. Kulikov (D) Out - Upper-Body. M. Tkachuk (LW) Out - Groin.

Montreal Canadiens:  K. Dach (C) Out For Season - Lower Body.

“The two power-play goals are the biggest piece. I think we had [23 shots] blocked tonight, missed the net [on] another [21]. So, we let a lot of offense die in that game.” - Paul Maurice after his team’s loss against the Canadiens in their game on Sunday.

“We know we have that, and sometimes for some reason, it slips away. In 82 games, they’re all not going to look like that. We have to play a high percentage of these kinds of games down the stretch.” - Martin St Louis after his team’s win against the Panthers in their game on Sunday.

LW Carter Verhaeghe

C Aleksander Barkov

RW Sam Reinhart

LD Gustav Forsling

RD Seth Jones

G Sergei Bobrovsky

LW Cole Caufield

C Nick Suzuki

RW Juraj Slafkovský

LD Mike Matheson

RD Alexandre Carrier

G Sam Montembeault

Points: S. Reinhart (76)

Goals: S. Reinhart (36)

Assists: A. Barkov (48)

GAA: S. Bobrovsky (2.44)

Points: N. Suzuki (77)

Goals: C. Caufield (34)

Assists: N. Suzuki (54)

GAA: S. Montembeault (2.91)

Coaches:

Florida Panthers: Paul Maurice (3rd season)

Montreal Canadiens: Martin St. Louis (3rd season)