TEAM COMPARISONS
The Islanders have been hot and cold in their 1-1-2 start to the season. A four-goal effort against the Utah Hockey Club in their season opener, and a 6-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on the road are signs of what New York can present offensively. However, two shutout losses in their first four games have raised concerns, echoing last season’s 22nd-ranked offense. Special teams have been particularly tough sledding for Roy’s group, who, despite the small sample size, rank in the bottom 10 in both power play and penalty kill percentage. On home ice for just the second time this year, the Isles will look to give their fans something to cheer about on Saturday.
Montreal is looking to rebound from a less-than-convincing 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings at the Bell Centre on Thursday. With wins in two of their five outings and a pair of four-goal showings to start the new campaign, the Canadiens have likewise shown flashes of offensive flare, however, the attack has stalled of late, producing just one goal in the team’s last four periods. Cole Caufield, who found the back of the net in each of his first three games, and Nick Suzuki, who has yet to score this season, will be instrumental in driving the Habs offense against a typically stingy Islanders defense.
BY THE NUMBERS: HABS-ISLES
Suzuki and Caufield have both found success against the Islanders, each averaging a point-per-game or better against the Metropolitan Division opponent over their careers.
The Canadiens edged the Islanders 2-1 in last year’s season series. Looking further back, the teams have split their last 10 matchups down the middle, each side winning five. Notably, five of the last six head-to-heads have been decided by just one goal, highlighting how closely these teams are matched.
Here’s how the Canadiens and Islanders match up by the numbers:
