Panthers’ loss to Canadiens may have ruined Paul Maurice’s New Year’s Eve

The Florida Panthers wrapped up 2025 on a painful note with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena. Florida looked in control with a 2-0 lead and five minutes left in regulation, but the Panthers let it slip away. Montreal stormed back and sealed the win on Nick Suzuki’s power-play goal in overtime.

Florida head coach Paul Maurice was blunt about how much the loss bothered him. As per the team’s reporter, Jameson Olive, Maurice expressed his frustration after the game.

“I’m going to grumble for a little while. Find a way to be in a good mood in two days, but I don’t need to be in a good mood tomorrow,” he said, making it clear the frustration would carry into the New Year.

Brad Marchand started the scoring with his 23rd goal of the season, and Sam Reinhart followed to give Florida a two-goal lead. The collapse began late in the third period when Cole Caufield scored after a pick play disrupted Aaron Ekblad’s coverage.

Suzuki then tied the game with 1:22 remaining after a misplayed puck behind the net involving goalie Daniil Tarasov and Ekblad. In overtime, Marchand was called for roughing Mike Matheson, giving Montreal a 4-on-3 advantage. Suzuki made it count with a tap-in to end the game.

Before the game, the Panthers held a special pre-game ceremony to honor Marchand for reaching 1,000 NHL points, a significant personal milestone the team celebrated as part of his standout career. The game itself featured an unusual defensive battle early on, with the first two periods finishing scoreless, which is rare in Florida-Montreal matchups, before the Canadiens rallied late and won in overtime.

The defeat hurt, especially since the Panthers had picked up three of four points in a back-to-back that included a win over Washington Capitals. Still, a major opportunity awaits. Florida will host the New York Rangers in the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic on Friday at LoanDepot park in Miami. It will be the franchise’s first outdoor game and its first game in Dade County since 1998.

With veterans like Marchand playing in his fourth outdoor game, and despite injuries to Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers remain in a good position. They sit fourth in the Atlantic Division with a 21-15-3  record, just four points behind the leading Detroit Red Wings.

This overtime loss may linger for Maurice on New Year’s Eve, but the Winter Classic, with nearly 40,000 fans under the Miami sky, offers a chance to turn the page. With back-to-back Stanley Cup experience, Florida has every reason to believe a quick rebound is coming.

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