SUNRISE (CBSMiami/AP) — The Florida Panthes have been the hottest team in the NHL for over a month.
Roberto Luongo made 40 saves in his second shutout of the season, Nick Bjugstad scored his fourth goal in two games, and the Panthers beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-0 on Thursday night for their seventh straight home win.
Evgenii Dadonov had a goal and an assist, and Vincent Trocheck, Micheal Haley and Jonathan Huberdeau also scored for the Panthers, who have points in eight straight games. Keith Yandle added three assists, and Aleksander Barkov had a pair.
The Panthers are two points behind Columbus for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, with three games in hand.