Game Preview: Islanders vs Canadiens

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (31-28-8) VS MONTREAL CANADIENS (33-27-7)

7:30 PM | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS

WATCH: MSGSN | MSG+ | ESPN+

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | ISLANDERS + UBS ARENA APP

There will be plenty of playoff implications on Thursday night when the New York Islanders host the Montreal Canadiens at UBS Arena.

The Islanders (70 points) are three points back of the Canadiens (73) for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. A regulation win would pull the Isles within a point of the Habs with an even number of games played. A regulation loss would knock the Isles to five points back of Montreal.

The New York Rangers (72 points) stand between the Isles and Habs and play the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. The Isles have two games in hand on the Rangers.

The Isles enter the game on a two-game winning streak, scoring a pair of third period comeback wins – by identical 4-2 finals – over Florida and Pittsburgh.

The Canadiens have also won two straight, beating Florida 3-1 on Saturday, and had a sizable comeback of their own on Tuesday, scoring five third period goals en route to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators.

SEASON SERIES:

The Isles are 1-0-1 against Montreal this season, winning 4-3 in a shootout at UBS Arena on Oct. 19 and dropping a 2-1 decision in OT in Montreal on Dec. 3.

The Islanders are 6-3-2 in their last 11 games vs Montreal and are 4-0-1 in the last five meetings at UBS Arena.

The Isles have won four straight home games against Montreal and a win would tie the franchise record for longest home win streak vs the Canadiens (Dec. 29, 2001 – Mar. 31, 2004).

ISLES NOTES:

- The Islanders have rallied for two straight comeback wins, digging out of a 2-0 third period hole in both contests. Per NHL PR, it’s the fourth time have earned multi-goal third period wins in consecutive team games (also 11/7-8/2022, 11/16-19/2019, and 12/31/1985-1/2/1986), tying the NHL record set by Detroit for most all-time.

Per team statistician Eric Hornick, the Isles scored four goals in consecutive third periods for the first time since Nov. 14-17, 1987, a span of nearly 2,900 games.

- Noah Dobson has goals in back-to-back games, marking the eighth time in his career he’s scored in consecutive contests. Dobson has three points – all assists – this season against Montreal, which leads the Isles. Dobson has 15 points (1G, 14A) in 11 career games against the Canadiens, his most against any team in the NHL.

- Kyle Palmieri recorded a three-point game (1G, 2A) on Tuesday, marking his first three-point game of the season and 16^th of his career. The three-point game snapped a five-game point drought for the winger. Palmieri has eight points (4G, 4A) in 10 games against Montreal with the Islanders.

- Alexander Romanov missed Tuesday’s game with an illness. The Islanders did not practice on Wednesday, so the defenseman’s status will become clearer after the team’s morning skate.

- Ilya Sorokin is 4-0-2 lifetime against Montreal with a 1.47 GAA, a .949 SV% and one shutout. Sorokin is 6-2-1 in his last nine games overall, with a 2.35 GAA, a .923 SV% and a goal.

- The Islanders are 9-2-1 in their last 12 home games.

- The Islanders power play is 0-for-18 in its last five games.

CANADIENS NOTES:

- The Canadiens are 8-1-2 since the Four Nations Face-Off break, and their .818 points percentage leads the NHL over that span. Montreal is 3-0-1 in its last four games.

- Nick Suzuki leads Montreal with 70 points (21G, 49A) this season. The Canadiens’ captain has been on fire since the break, with 18 points (6G, 12A) in 11 games since play resumed. Suzuki has 15 points (6G, 9A) in 13 career games against the Isles.

- Cole Caufield leads the team with 33 goals and is second with 61 points, including 12 points (7G, 5A) since the Four Nations break. Caufield has nine points (5G, 4A) in eight career games against the Islanders.

- Patrik Laine has 27 points (16G, 11A) in 37 games since debuting for Montreal in December (against the Isles). He has nine points (4G, 5A) in his last nine games.

- Rookie defenseman Lane Hutson has 53 points (5G, 48A) in 67 games this season, which leads all first-year players. Hutson is three points clear of San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini and is 43 points clear of the next closest rookie blueliner. Hutson has four points (1G, 3A) in his last three games.

- Sam Montembeault is 25-21-4 this season with a 2.84 GAA, a .901 SV% and four shutouts. Montembeault is 4-2-1 against the Islanders with Montreal, posting a 2.57 GAA and a .925 SV%. Montembeault stopped 30-of-31 shots in Montreal’s win over the Islanders in December.

- Montreal’s power play has scored in three straight games, going 3-for-9 (33%) over that span. The Canadiens power play is converting at 21.9% this season.