3 most impressive Montreal Canadiens players from 3-1 win over Florida Panthers feat. Cole Caufield 

The Montreal Canadiens are battling for a playoff spot in the tightly packed Eastern Conference race, hoping to return to the postseason for the first time since their Cinderella run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

They faced off against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Saturday night at Bell Centre, looking to add two crucial points to their total.

Montreal secured the win with a 3-1 victory, improving their record to 32-27-7. Meanwhile, the Panthers fell to 41-23-3. With each win, the Canadiens' postseason chances continue to rise.

The first period went according to plan for the Canadiens, who jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a power-play goal from Patrik Laine and an even-strength tally from Cole Caufield. The goals were their 16th and 33rd of the season, respectively.

The Panthers pushed back in the second period, cutting Montreal’s lead in half with Mackie Samoskevich’s 13th goal of the season, making it 2-1.

However, Christian Dvorak restored the two-goal lead for Montreal just before the midway point of the third period with his seventh goal of the season. That would be the final goal of the game, as Florida failed to mount a comeback.

Sergei Bobrovsky had an off night for the Panthers, allowing three goals on just 15 shots. Meanwhile, Sam Montembeault secured the win for Montreal, making 21 saves.

3 most impressive Montreal Canadiens players from 3-1 win over Florida Panthers

#1. Cole Caufield

The young Canadiens star is doing everything in his power to end the club’s postseason drought.

He scored his 33rd goal of the season, added an assist, fired three shots on goal, and finished with a plus-1 rating.

#2. Christian Dvorak

The Canadiens forward helped put the game out of reach with his third-period goal, playing a key role in Montreal’s victory.

He also finished with a plus-1 rating and blocked two shots from the Panthers.

#3. Sam Montembeault

The Canadiens may have finally found their first bona fide starting goaltender since the days of Carey Price.

He stopped 21 of 22 shots, including three shots each from Evan Rodrigues and Sam Bennett, as well as four shots from Niko Mikkola.