The Montreal Canadiens will face the New York Islanders in the penultimate game of the regular season. Here's what you need to know ahead of puck drop.
After coming out flat against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night, the Montreal Canadiens will need to bounce right back as they take on the New York Islanders at 6 PM on Sunday. For a second night in a row, the Habs’ opponent will be desperate to stay alive in the playoff race, and with the Philadelphia Flyers having a three-point lead in the final spot available, the Islanders cannot afford to lose. Meanwhile, the Canadiens must also win to secure home-ice advantage in the postseason. The stakes are high for both teams, but it’s a matter of life and death for the Isles.
The Tricolore flew to New York on Saturday night after the game, and there won’t be a morning skate or a media availability before the game, which means that we won’t know more about Noah Dobson’s status until the teams hit the ice for warmup. One can wonder if he even joined the team after he appeared to block a shot with his hand, something we’ve seen in the past in Montreal, which cost Brendan Gallagher a lot of games back in 2015 (on a Johnny Boychuk shot) and in 2017 (when he caught some friendly fire from Shea Weber). If Dobson did suffer that kind of injury, it would be a terrible blow to the Canadiens with the playoffs right around the corner.
Edit: The Canadiens gave an update through social media at 10:00 AM, stating that Dobson had suffered an upper-body injury and would be reevaluated in two weeks. That means Dobson will at least miss the first week of the first round, not ideal for Montreal. In a corresponding move, the Habs also called up David Reinbacher from the Laval Rocket.
The Sainte-Flanelle has faced the New Yorkers twice this season, and each team has won one game. The Isles won 4-3 in overtime in February, while the Canadiens eviscerated the Isles’ defense in a 7-3 triumph in March.
Neither team has confirmed who will man the net tonight, but Jakub Dobes and Ilya Sorokin were both in action on Saturday night. Chances are that Martin St-Louis will opt for Jacob Fowler. Still, considering the Islanders’ precarious position, it’s not out of the question that Peter DeBoer will bet on Sorokin yet again. Dobes has never faced the Islanders, while Fowler has won his only game against them and has a 3.00 goals-against average and a .864 save percentage.
Meanwhile, Sorokin has a 6-1-2 record against the Canadiens with a 2.32 GAA and a .924 SV. As for the backup, David Rittich has a 2-3-1 record, with a 2.57 GAA and a .922 save percentage.
Up front, Nick Suzuki is the Canadiens’ most productive forward against the host; he has 20 points in just 16 games, which bodes well for his chase of the century mark. Brendan Gallagher also has 20 points against the Isles, but in 33 games, and the veteran has been a healthy scratch for the last three games. Sniper Cole Caufield has 15 points in just 11 duels against DeBoer’s men, including a hat trick in the last one, while defenseman Mike Matheson also has 15 points, but in 32 games. As for Juraj Slafkovsky, he has nine points in as many games.
As for the Isles, Brayden Schenn leads the charge with 31 points in 34 meetings with the Habs, followed by Bo Horvat, who has 24 points in 32 games and Ondrej Palat, who also has 24 points but in 38 games. The Canadiens also need to keep a close eye on Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Not only has he got 20 points in 38 games, but he’s also got four game-winning goals.
Montreal has won five of the last 10 duels between the two teams, but it remains to be seen if they’ll be able to handle the Isles’ desperation. The game is set for 6:00 PM, and you can catch it on MSGSN, TSN2, and RDS. TJ Luxmore and Carter Sandlak are set to officiate, while Julien Fournier and Tommy Hughes will be the linemen.
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