The Panthers head north Thursday night looking to cool off a Canadiens team that’s rolling at home and already stole one game in this season’s series. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. EST at Bell Centre, with coverage on ESPN+.

Montreal (24-13-6) has won four of its last five games, including a 4-1 victory over Calgary on Wednesday to open a four-game homestand. Montreal continues to lean on Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, who scored his 21st goal on Wednesday. Lane Hutson has also been productive, recording three goals and 12 assists over his last 10 games.

Meanwhile, the Panthers (22-17-3) have struggled to generate offense, scoring two goals or fewer in four straight games and opening a six-game road trip Tuesday with a 4-1 loss in Toronto. Brad Marchand remains Florida’s offensive driver with 23 goals and 46 points, tied with Sam Reinhart for the team lead in goals. Reinhart has been productive lately, posting six goals and six assists over his last 10 games.

The Canadiens took the first meeting between the teams on Dec. 30, a 3-2 overtime win in Florida, after Montreal erased a two-goal third-period deficit.

Panthers -1.5 (+194)Canadiens +1.5 (-233)Panthers -122Canadiens +117Over 6.5 (+113)Under 6.5 (-122)

Note: The above data was collected on Jan. 8, 2026, and may have changed since writing.

Panthers vs Canadiens Betting TrendsThe Panthers are 14-28 against the spread this season, going 4-6 in their last 10.The Canadiens have gone 23-19 against the spread, including 8-2 in their previous 10.The total has gone over in six of the Panthers’ past nine matchups.The total has gone under in five straight Canadiens home games.The under has hit in four of the last five matchups between these teams.The Canadiens have won six straight meetings with the Panthers.Panthers vs Canadiens Injury ReportsBrad Marchand, LW — Day to day (undisclosed).Jonah Gadjovich, LW — Injured reserve (upper body).Cole Schwindt, C — injured reserve (arm).Matthew Tkachuk, LW — Injured reserve (groin).Seth Jones, D — Day to day (upper body).Josh Anderson, RW — Day to day (undisclosed).Jake Evans, C — Injured reserve (lower body).Panthers vs Canadiens Predictions and Picks

“Several factors give Montreal a slight edge in this matchup. They have been the better team this season, with five more points. Martin St. Louis’s men will have home-ice advantage Thursday night, and Montreal’s recent form has also been better. While Tkachuk’s return would be a major boost for Florida, defenseman Seth Jones has just landed on the shelf with an upper-body injury, and the team might also miss top scorer Brad Marchand …. It will be tough to match Montreal with a depleted lineup.” — Taavi Pailk, SportyTrader

“Montreal comes into this matchup playing very well over their last five games, and they have scored at least four goals in three of their last four. The Canadiens are 10-9-1 at home this year, while the Panthers are 8-8-0 on the road. Florida has dropped three of their last four games, and they have scored two goals or fewer in four straight. Montreal is on a back-to-back, which I don’t love, but I don’t trust this Florida offense right now. Take the Canadiens to get a big win at home here.” — David Racey, PickDawgz

“This is a matchup of a battle-tested Florida squad against a young, surging Montreal team. The Panthers have the defensive edge if Sergei Bobrovsky (17 wins, 2.85 GAA) gets the nod, but the absence of Seth Jones on the back end and the potential absence of Marchand up front significantly hampers their transition game …. Given the Panthers’ mounting injury list and Montreal’s high-scoring home offense (3.31 GF/G), the Canadiens are a strong bet to at least keep this within a goal. If Montreal’s power play can exploit the absence of Jones, they have a legitimate chance to win this outright.” — Kim Smith, Winners and Whiners