PANTHERS (45-25-9) at CANADIENS (36-37-6)
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET; FS-F, RDS, SNE, NHL.TV
Season series: The Florida Panthers will be going for the sweep after winning the first three games against the Montreal Canadiens. Florida center Aleksander Barkov has five goals and three assists, including two goals and an NHL career-high four points in a 4-3 win at BB&T Center on Saturday. Panthers left wing Jonathan Huberdeau has a goal and four assists. Canadiens left wing Max Pacioretty has a goal and two assists.
Panthers team scope: Florida secured home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-3 win at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. The Panthers' 700th regular-season victory gave them 99 points, the most in a single season in their history, and extended their Atlantic Division lead to four points on the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning, who lost 5-2 at the New York Islanders. "We're trying to get as many points and play as well as we can going [into the playoffs] and see what happens," coach Gerard Gallant told the Panthers website. "It's good to get the home ice clinched tonight, and the next goal is to try and get first in our division." Florida and Tampa Bay each has three games remaining. The Panthers, who nearly blew a 3-0 lead against the Maple Leafs, broke the previous record of 98 points set by the 1999-2000 team. "We need to be working as hard as we can before the playoffs start," right wing Jaromir Jagr said. "Sometimes, you want to take it easy, but it doesn't work that way. You have to motivate yourself to play as hard as you can like you will have to play in the playoffs."
Canadiens team scope: Forward John Scott and defenseman Ryan Johnston each will play after being recalled from St. John's of the American Hockey League on Sunday. Acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in a Jan. 15 trade, Scott was immediately assigned to St. John's, though he played in and was named Most Valuable Player of the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game in Nashville after having been voted by the fans to represent the Coyotes as captain of the Pacific Division team. He returned to St. John's after the birth of his twin daughters and did not expect to be called up. "It was a shock, but I'm super-grateful to be here," Scott said after practice Monday. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play for the Canadiens. It's such a cool franchise. So I'm really excited to be here." Defenseman P.K. Subban has not been cleared by doctors to return from his neck injury and will miss his 12th straight game. Johnston, who will make his NHL debut, will be the 15th defenseman to play for Montreal this season. Goalie Mike Condon will start. Coach Michel Therrien said rookie goalie Charlie Lindgren will start and make his NHL debut in one of the Canadiens' final two games, leaving one possible start for Carey Price, who has been sidelined by a lower-body injury since Nov. 25.
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