CANADIENS (36-36-6) at PANTHERS (43-25-9)
TV: 7 p.m. ET; TVA Sports, SN, FS-F, NHL.TV
Season series: Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov has three goals and four points in two wins against the Montreal Canadiens. Florida goalies Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya each allowed one goal in their respective starts against Montreal. Luongo made 29 saves in the Panthers' 3-1 win at BB&T Center on Dec. 29; Montoya made 27 saves in Florida's 4-1 win at Bell Centre on March 15. Montreal forwards Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk each have a goal and an assist.
Canadiens team scope: Montreal right wing Brendan Gallagher returns Saturday. He missed the past 12 games because of a lower-body injury sustained March 5. Gallagher will play with center Alex Galchenyuk and left wing Max Pacioretty. "Our first game together I got hurt, so it will be nice to hopefully stick together here for a ltitle while," Gallagher said Friday in a video on the Canadiens website. Goalie Carey Price practiced with the team for a second straight day. "Right now, I'm feeling pretty good," said Price, who has been sidelined by a lower-body injury since Nov. 25. "I still have some symptoms but I'm also trying to get my game back too." The Hart and Vezina trophy winner hopes to play before the end of the season. "I've been working this whole time to get back and that's always been my goal, so if that happens, that's great, but if it doesn't happen, then I'll be ready in September regardless," Price said. Defenseman Brent Lernout was recalled from St. John's of the American Hockey League after Nathan Beaulieu broke his thumb Thursday. Lernout will make his NHL debut Saturday with P.K. Subban not ready to return from a neck injury.
Panthers team scope: Luongo will start against Montreal in the first of five opportunities for Florida to set a team record for most wins in a season. The Panthers lead the Atlantic Division with 95 points following a 3-2 win against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. Florida's 43rd win tied the 1999-2000 team for the most by the Panthers in a season. More importantly, the win gave Florida a two-point lead over the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning, who also have five games remaining following a 3-0 loss against the Canadiens on Thursday. "[Thursday] night, to get those extra two points and to be in first place in your division, that's what you're shooting for," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said Friday. "The goal was to make the playoffs and now the goal is to finish as high as you can. It's good to be in first place for sure." Forward Jussi Jokinen and defenseman Erik Gudbranson did not practice Friday but Gallant said it was a maintenance day for both. The Panthers assigned forward Logan Shaw to Portland of the AHL on Friday.
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