Will the Islanders respond to Canadiens' forward Brendan Gallagher for his hit on Adam Pelech?
Will the Islanders respond to Canadiens' forward Brendan Gallagher for his hit on Adam Pelech?
On Thursday, the New York Islanders host the Montreal Canadiens at 7:30 PM ET.
For New York, it's a pivotal game as they look to continue their push toward a postseason berth. However, it's also the first time these two teams are meeting since the Brendan Gallagher incident.
On Jan. 25, the Canadiens forward was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for hitting Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech in the head:
Gallagher was later suspended five games because it was his "first offense."
Various NHL personalities scorned Gallagher's actions, including ESPN analyst P.K. Subban, who was Gallagher's teammate for four seasons in Montreal.
The hit also drew the ire of former MSG Networks analyst Thomas Hickey.
"This is a disgusting hit," he said. "This isn't 1990 or the early 2000s. This needs to be out of the game. Just a terrible, terrible hit."
Head coach Patrick Roy didn't have much to say after the game about Gallagher's hit, but it will be interesting to see how the players respond on the ice in the midst of a tight playoff chase.
Pelech was absent from the Islanders' final game before the All-Star break but returned in their first game back against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"I didn't see him, obviously, so I didn't really know what happened until a while after that because there's a lot of stuff to go through when I go back to the room, and I don't really want to comment on it," Pelech told The Hockey News. "I feel good. I took it easy and rested up over the break. And I'm really thankful that it's only been eight or nine days, so to be able to practice with the guys, I'm encouraged just with how quickly I'm back."
Pelech, who has dealt with multiple head injuries the last two seasons, was also the subject of discussion after he collided with New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad in their 4-2 win over their cross-town rivals on Tuesday night.
The Islanders likely don't want to get caught up in the extracurriculars on Thursday night, especially against a team that they need to beat with just four games to play.
But don't be surprised to see the Islanders finish their hits on Gallagher when they get the chance.