RECAP: Canadiens 3, Panthers 2 (OT)

MONTREAL – The Florida Panthers picked up a valuable point but were left wanting more following a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Tuesday.

Now trailing the Maple Leafs (45-25-4) by just two points for first place in the Atlantic Division, the Panthers (44-26-4) will visit Toronto in less than 24 hours on Wednesday.

“Every point is huge right now,” defenseman Gustav Forsling said. “We want that home advantage, and we’re going to try and finish first.”

Losing a man just a few minutes into the first period, Nico Sturm went down the tunnel after violently colliding with Panthers teammate A.J. Greer at center ice.

Sturm did not return to the game and his status remains up in the air.

“Nothing yet,” head coach Paul Maurice said when asked for an update postgame. “We’ll get him looked at tomorrow. Didn’t feel he could come back.”

Giving the Canadiens an early lead in their own barn, Josh Anderson tipped in a point shot from Kaiden Guhle to make it 1-0 at 4:43 of the first period.

Niko Mikkola evened the score for the Panthers when he fired a long shot that clipped off a defender’s stick before sailing past Sam Montembeault to make it 1-1 at 10:37.

Keeping the game tied, Vitek Vanecek robbed Anderson on a point-blank shot at 12:03.

“He was unbelievable for us tonight,” Forsling said Vanecek, who made his fourth start since being acquired by Florida. “I think he really saved us a couple times. He came up big.”

After going through nearly the whole second period without either team lighting the lamp, Mackie Samoskevich broke through for the Panthers on the power play when he took a pass from Seth Jones and buried a shot from beyond the left circle to make it 2-1 at 18:47.

Heating up, Samoskevich is now tied for sixth among NHL rookies with 14 goals.

“We’ve gotten better and better and better, and I still think we can be even better, which is the cool part,” Samoskevich said of the power play. “We’ll take that goal and keep getting better.”

With the Canadiens on the power play near the midway point of the third period, the Panthers held their lead with a strong penalty kill in which they allowed just one shot.

Just before the 3-minute mark, Nate Schmidt broke up a 2-on-1 with a great diving play.

Finding the game-tying goal for the Canadiens, Nick Suzuki pounced on a loose puck to the left of the net and sent it past Vanecek to make it 2-2 with nine seconds left in regulation.

Just 29 seconds into overtime, Suzuki scored a wrap-around goal to win it for Montreal.

In defeat, the Panthers allowed just five total shots on goal in the third period and overtime.

In the playoff hunt, the Canadiens (35-30-9) now how hold a two-point cushion over the Columbus Blue Jackets (34-30-9) for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted, but credit to them,” Samoskevich said. “They’re in a playoff sprint here. They’re not giving up, for sure. I still liked our third period. We didn’t give up much in that third and played pretty well. Not the result we wanted, but it’s going to happen.”

THEY SAID IT

“It’s going to be fun. Playoff mentality, kind of like today.” – Gustav Forsling on Wednesday’s matchup with Toronto

“Every point matters. Wish we got two, but credit to them. They battled right until the end there.” – Mackie Samoskevich on leaving Montreal with a point

“Eighty-two games a year and you'll get one of those. We'll leave it here." – Paul Maurice on the nature of tonight’s loss to the Canadiens

CATS STATS

- Mackie Samoskevich’s 14 goals are tied for the seventh-most by a rookie in franchise history.

- Anton Lundell won a team-high 11 faceoffs.

- Eetu Luostarinen blocked a team-high four shots.

- Vitek Vanecek made three high-danger saves, per NaturalStatTrick.com.

- The Panthers led 27-8 in 5-on-5 shot attempts when Sam Reinhart was deployed.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The battle for the division is just getting started.

In the first of two head-to-head matchups remaining, the Panthers will face-off against the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The official watch party in South Florida will be at Funky Buddha Brewery.

For more information, click HERE.