Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens (45-22-10) will face the Florida Panthers (37-37-3) on Tuesday, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
This will be the third and final time these teams meet this year, with the Canadiens currently holding a 2-0 edge in games won. They beat the Panthers 3-2 in late December, as well as 6-2 in early January, however, it should be noted that veteran netminder Samuel Montembeault started both games.
He’s no longer considered a starter in Montreal, having been usurped by the much more encouraging play of rookie netminders Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes.
Seeing as Fowler started Sunday night’s game versus the New Jersey Devils, we’re expecting to see his counterpart face the Panthers on Tuesday night.
Dobes, 24, is in the midst of a five-game winning streak, with his last loss coming on March 19, versus the Detroit Red Wings. It’s also worth noting he’s stopped 171 of the 179 shots sent his way in the last five games.
As for the Panthers, they’ll have to do without Matthew Tkachuk, who will be with his wife as they await the birth of their child.
Lineup Changes
There’s a chance we’ll see some significant lineup changes for the Canadiens, as both Kirby Dach and Alexandre Texier are very close to a return to play. According to Anthony Martineau, they will be in uniform, which would force head coach Martin St-Louis to make a few important roster decisions prior to puck drop.
On me dit que Texier et Dach reviendront bel et bien au jeu ce soir.
— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) April 7, 2026
J’entends aussi qu’il faut s’attendre à du mouvement significatif sur les trios 2-3-4.
Ce que je vous dis est la réalité à 12h08.
Évidemment, personne n’est à l’abri d’un changement d’ici le match.… pic.twitter.com/asvp7xEH7G
Dach had played on the first line for a spell, but it’s unlikely that St-Louis would want to rip apart one of the best trios in the NHL, again. There is a legitimate possibility he will place Dach on the second line, though it remains to be seen whether it would be on the wing or at centre.
If St-Louis wants to use Dach as a winger, there’s a chance Alex Newhook could be demoted from the second line, though that would be a difficult decision to accept given that he’s played quite well since recovering from his ankle injury.
As for Texier, if he plays, he’s likely to slot into a bottom-six role, with Joe Veleno and Brendan Gallagher serving as the players who would probably make way for his presence.
Ideally, the Zach Bolduc and Jake Evans duo remains intact, as it’s been one of Montreal’s best combinations during their push for the playoffs.
We will update the projected Canadiens lineup with new information as it becomes available.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky
Alex Newhook* – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Zach Bolduc – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson
Joe Veleno* – Phillip Danault – Brendan Gallagher*
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Jayden Struble- Lane Hutson
Kaiden Guhle – Arber Xhekaj
Jakub Dobes
Florida Panthers Projected Lineup
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk*
Mackie Samoskevich – Eetu Luostarinen – A.J. Greer
Noah Gregor – Tomas Nosek – Jesper Boqvist
Cole Reinhardt – Luke Kunin – Cole Schwindt
Gustav Forsling – Seth Jones
Donovan Sebrango – Mike Benning
Tobias Bjornfot – Mikulas Hovorka
Daniil Tarasov
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Panthers
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Florida Panthers, Tuesday, April 7, 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.
