Caufield and Texier score in shootout as Canadiens beat Panthers 4-3

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield and Alexandre Texier scored in the shootout after Nick Suzuki’s late tying goal as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Florida Panthers 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Ivan Demidov and Phillip Danault also scored in regulation as playoff-bound Montreal won for the ninth time in 10 games. Juraj Slafkovsky added two assists and Jakub Dobes made 30 saves for his sixth consecutive win.

Caufield remained one goal shy of his 50th for the third consecutive game after scoring twice Thursday against the New York Rangers. He is scoreless in three straight games for the first time since posting four consecutive goalless outings from Jan. 8 to 12.

Eetu Luostarinen, Carter Verhaeghe and Cole Reinhardt scored for fading Florida, which lost its eighth straight game against the Canadiens. Daniil Tarasov stopped 29 shots.

The two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions entered the night 27th in the overall league standings and out of playoff contention.

Canadiens forwards Kirby Dach and Texier returned to the lineup, while veteran Brendan Gallagher (healthy scratch) and Joe Veleno (flu) sat out.

Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk missed the game for the birth of his first child, adding to a long list of absences for Florida. More than half of the Panthers’ usual roster is out for the season after three straight trips to the Stanley Cup final.

Panthers: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.

Canadiens: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl