Montreal Canadiens vs. Florida Panthers: 3 things to watch
All-Star MVP John Scott plays 1 game as a Montreal Canadien as Habs take on Panthers in 2nd-to-last home game
All-Star MVP John Scott is up to play one game as a Montreal Canadien, with the Habs taking on the Florida Panthers in their second-to-last home game of the season.
In the nets, Mike Condon gets the start against hometown boy Roberto Luongo.
Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre
Here are three things to watch:
1. John Scott
The John Scott movie needs a final scene. We may well watch the live version tonight.
Scott, the All-Star MVP, will finally suit up in a Habs jersey after being traded to Montreal Jan. 15 and sent directly to the St. John's IceCaps.
The fans will finally get to cheer for their own personal Rudy when Scott hits the ice – a gift from Habs' management to a fan base that has had little to cheer for down the stretch of an awful season.
2. Aleksander Barkov
If there is a player the Habs need to key on in this rematch against the Panthers, it should be Aleksander Barkov.
Barkov had four points in the Panthers 4-3 win last Saturday and also put one in back in March, when the Panthers won 4-1.
He wears number 16, and he is just one of the members of the Panthers' potent offence that can do some damage.
3. 60 minutes
The Habs snatched defeat from the jaws of victory when they lost 4-3 to the Panthers last weekend.
They had built a three-goal lead before letting it slip away in Sunrise.
Since then, the Panthers locked up their best regular season record in franchise history with a 4-3 win over the Leafs.
The Habs have been idle and should be well rested, but they are hurting on defence.
They'll need to have everyone pulling in the same direction if they want to give their fans a respectable send-off with just two games left to play at home.