It'll be hard for the Montreal Canadiens to settle the excitement of Tuesday night's game for a date on Long Island with the New York Islanders. However, they won't want to relinquish the playoff spot they fought so hard to earn in their last game against the Ottawa Senators. The Habs battled back in the third period to steal a win from the Senators, pushing them a point ahead of the New York Rangers for the second wild card with two games in hand. It's now the Canadiens' playoff spot to lose, and dropping a game to the Islanders won't help matters.
The Habs have been one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference with a 7-1-2 record over their past ten games, but the Islanders aren't a team they can take lightly. New York has an impressive 6-3-1 mark over their past ten, and would move within a point of the Canadiens with a regulation win in this game. The goal for Montreal in this game is clear, defeat the Islanders and put a five-point cushion between them and the Patrick Roy-led team. If not, it makes their path to the playoffs that much challenging.
How to Watch Montreal Canadiens vs. New York Islanders
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM ET / 4:30 PM PT
Venue: UBS Arena
How to Watch: TSN2, RDS, MSGSN, FuboTV
It's always a special game when the Canadiens face their old superstar goalie. Roy is in his second stint as an NHL head coach, and is 3-2 against Montreal since taking the job with the Islanders. The teams have split the season series this year, with the Islanders winning 4-3 at home at the start of the year, and the Canadiens returning the favor in December.
The Islanders are led by Ilya Sorokin, as their offense leaves some to be desired. Noah Dobson leads the team in points and goals over the last five games with just three points and two goals. It isn't an offense that typically would be in a playoff race, but Sorokin has been keeping them in games and the team is getting offense throughout the lineup. There is no one line that is taking the lead like the Canadiens' first line, but it is all 18 players rowing the boat. It's a team makeup that should worry Martin St. Louis.