Montreal Canadiens square off with New York Islanders in must-win to pad second wildcard lead

On Thursday night, the Montreal Canadiens face the New York Islanders, for the first time with a playoff spot in-hand.

It's a thin lead, which could be widened by taken advantage of their two games in-hand on the New York Rangers, who trail the Habs by one point. The Rangers have played 69 games, and have 72 points. Montreal has 73 points, and has only played 67 games, which makes tonight's game even more important.

Two out of three of New York's teams are fighting for their playoff lives, with Islander just two points behind the Rangers, and just two points behind them. Montreal can't afford to lose any games, especially when the pack behind them is so close to them. The biggest point gap between the Rangers and the Boston Bruins is a cluster of three other teams, and the fivesome is separated by three points, at most.

If Montreal stumbles and another team from the pack behind them start a winning streak, the Canadiens could easily fall off their perch. Every game is a must-win, and playing them like they are anything less, could pull the rug out from under their skates. Focus, and intensity has shifted in the Canadiens coming out of the Four Nations break, and they just need to win to get in.

On Thursday afternoon, St. Louis gave the nod to Samuel Montembeault between the pipes.

Onto the game

In typical Brendan Gallagher fashion, No. 11 got a penalty for goaltender interference before the game was five minutes old. The Islanders' power play is the worst in the NHL, and the Canadiens penalty kill is kind of good. Jake Evans and Joel Armia started the kill on the right foot.

With the kill winding down, Anthony Duclair slipped a squeaker throw the wickets of Samuel Montembeault to break the ice.

Then, Adam Pelech got the gate for interfering with Juraj Slafkovsky, who has been playing like an animal over the last 11 games.

Montreal didn't score on the man advantage, but they got some zone time and tried to work the puck around the perimeter to open something up.

At 11:58, Joshua Roy was 'Johnny on the spot', scoring a great tally against Ilya Sorokin right on the doorstep. The tally is Roy's first of the 2024-25 season and the fifth goal of his career.

Josh Anderson was turning heads with his speed, and 'heart on his sleeve' play against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night, and tonight he is doing the same. Montreal grabbed the momentum with the tying goal, and now Anderson has drawn a penalty by moving his feet. Anders Lee is in the box for tripping No. 17.

5:57 is on the clock, as the referee drops the puck to mark the start of the power play. The first minute has come off the clock, and the top unit remains on the ice, with Patrik Laine and Nick Suzuki trying to score the Habs' second goal of the period.

But the man advantage did little for the Habs, who failed to get Sorokin moving around his net. However, they have the shot advantage (12-6) and have challenged him plenty; as he has been much busier than Montembeault.

The horn buzzes signalling the end of the period, and both sides have one goal.

Second Period

31 seconds are off the clock, and the Canadiens are off to the penalty kill for interference. Brendan Gallagher received the gate against Scott Mayfield. So, the Islanders are off to the power play.

Much to the chagrin of head coach Patrick Roy, Noah Dobson is off to the box, and the Habs have just 45 seconds remaining on their penalty kill. Which is now four on four for 45 seconds, and then 1:15 of power play time for Montreal.

Juraj Slafkovsky is playing on his natural side, and the same can be said about Laine, which is strange to see on the power play. Marty got creative, trying to pull the Habs ahead. It didn't work, but the Canadiens gained energy from a strong power play.

Captain Nick Suzuki has his 22nd goal of the season, after he was sprung at the Islanders blueline, and made a nice shot to put the Canadiens up 2-1. But that didn't hold up, Roy challenged for offside, and after a lengthy pause, the referee's decided it was offside.

I agree with Jeff Marek, and not only that, if you look at the shot clock, the Habs are manhandling the Islanders. It's not like it was a flukey goal, after the Canadiens were hemmed in their zone by a relentless Islanders forecheck. Montreal has looked better than their opponent, and it was a deserved goal.

Anyway, we move ahead 1-1.

Alex Newhook took over the game for about 30 seconds, with a relentless forecheck, and off-puck game in the attacking zone. If he mishandled the puck, it was like glue to his stick, he battled to promptly retrieve it. Then he nearly scored a highlight reel tally on Sorokin.

When I hear Tony DeAngelo, I wonder about Ivan Demidov, and if he says anything to the Canadiens about his thoughts on Demidov. And just what the kid is all about.

6:51 remains on the clock and there's a tv break. The Canadiens lead 25-10 in the shot department, but Sorokin has been brilliant, to no one's surprise.

Mike Matheson is off to the box, after he lost his positioning on Kyle Palmieri, causing him to reach around the veteran forward. The referee's hand went up immediately, and Matheson was guilty of interference. Islanders get their third power play of the game.

Montreal's kill was having a great outing until Noah Dobson teed up Simon Holmstrom, who fired a laser past Montembeault, that was labelled for the top corner before it came off his stick. Any night that you take three penalties, is not a great one from a discipline standpoint.

2-1 Islanders, and just over three minutes left in the period. It very much feels like a game that the Islanders are leaning on Sorokin, much like the Canadiens would on Carey Price in his heyday.

Though the Islanders are feeling good about themselves in the final two minutes of the period, hemming the Habs in, and filling them in with shots, and a heavy of great puck cycling.

New York holds a 2-1 lead after forty minutes of play.

Third Period

Alexandre Carrier made a great defensive play, cutting off a shot opportunity for Lee, sending the puck flying into the netting 30-feet high.

Jayden Struble has been the perfect defence partner for Lane Hutson, and the pair has had another great game. Struble has been quick, physical and skated well, while giving up zero space for the opposition to work. Hutson has been able to grow his game at five-on-five, thanks to the switch from Matheson to Struble.

If the Canadiens want to win this game, letting Bo Horvat enter the zone off the rush, and skate around Matheson, before tucking it neatly past Montembeault isn't going to work. But that is exactly what they did, falling asleep at the pedal with a one-goal deficit. Then waking up down by two goals.

It is going to take a big effort from the Canadiens, but these are the games that Hughes entrusted this team to battle through and pave their path into the 2025 playoffs. The wildcard is in hand, but this deficit should have the Habs full speed ahead. 17 minutes remain, which is plenty of time to do something, and it all starts with one.

Just have to score the next goal, it cannot be another puck behind Montembeault.

The Canadiens power play is zero for three tonight, but the comeback starts here, so they need to forget the past. This power play right here is the most important one.

Usually, when the puck gets to Laine on the man advantage, it is awfully difficult to bet against the guy who has one of the top five shots in the entire league. For sure the best for a Finnish-born player since Teemu Selanne. No. 92 made no mistake, hammering a one-touch shot past Sorokin.

In a game where one goal has already been called back for the Canadiens, Roy is challenging the scoring play, citing goalie interference by Slafkovsky. 15:28 remains on the clock, and the call here could break a fragile team, and lift any team.

Montreal's play after the goal is going to be important after it was determined to be a goal. Roy lost the challenge, and his team is off to the penalty kill, with one goal separating the Habs from a tie game. This is a big one.

With the power play winding down the Canadiens made their biggest push, with a rebound popping off Sorokin's pad. But there was no Hab in the vicinity to capitalize on the possible game-tying loose puck. Those missed chances in the low slot are just awful.

12:15 remains in the game, and the Canadiens are still searching for the tying tally. It feels like the perfect time for Cole Caufield to get down to business. It feels like the right time for No. 13 to do what he does best.

Newhook worked a quick give-and-go with Laine, and fired a laser snapshot off the bar blocker side.

The Hockey Gods are shining down, with Della Gallagher, giving her son Brendan a breakaway, and tripping up Mike Reilly, leaving No. 11 all alone in the Islanders zone. No. 11 made no mistake tying the game for the Canadiens. What a clutch moment for Gally.

I am all-in for watching Gallagher help Suzuki and the young guys will this team into the playoffs as best as he can. This team feels tested, young and hungry, and having guys like Anderson and Gallagher putting it all on the line, never playing completely healthy. It speaks loudly.

The Canadiens are a brotherhood.

Gallagher fires a shot into Sorokin's glove, and the Habs are lined up for a faceoff to the right of the Islanders goaltender.

Shots are 37-19 for the Canadiens, the game is 3-3, and with 3:32 remaining is awaiting it's hero.

The final minute is upon us, and each chance sends the Islanders crowd into a mini frenzy.

18.7 remains on the clock, after the Canadiens retrieve an icing from New York. They lose the ensuing faceoff, and then the Islanders ice the puck again, setting up a faceoff in their zone with 11 seconds left. New York once again clears the puck, ultimately pushing the game to overtime, leaving each team with one point

Three on three will solve who gets the second point.

Three on three overtime awaits

Montreal has gutted out a two-goal comeback, and the cherry on top is up for grabs, with the Islanders breathing down their necks in the Eastern Conference standings.

Shots are 40-22, but the next goal could be the one that matters most. Except it was Newhook, and Sorokin stonewalled him. Newhook then got a great defensive stick on an attempt by Horvat.

3:11 remains, and the Habs lose an important faceoff, but the lines have been changed. And it's right back to business.

After a risky rush by Hutson, the Islanders transitioned back through the neutral zone quickly, and Horvat blew a wrister short side past Montembeault. 4-3 Islanders win.