Thursday's NHL showdown between the New York Islanders (20-16-11) and the Montreal Canadiens (19-21-7) is going to be held at the Bell Centre. The Eastern Conference match is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM ET.
Currently, the Islanders occupy the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference standings with 51 points, while the Canadiens sit at 13th with 45 points. The Islanders are poised to enter the rink as favorites with Montreal as the underdog.
The Islanders, fifth in the Metropolitan Division, are grappling with a recent setback as they lost seven of their last ten games. In their latest match against the Vegas Golden Knights, despite a spirited effort by center Brock Nelson, they fell short with a 2-3 defeat.
Likewise, the Canadiens—sixth in the Atlantic Division—have also lost seven of their last ten games. In their most recent showdown against the Ottawa Senators, the Senators dominated the scoreboard from early on, leading to Montreal’s 1-4 loss.
Montreal’s form
As the Canadiens prepare to take the ice at home, right winger Brendan Gallagher said he anticipates a surge of energy from the crowd.
With the team on a losing streak, Gallagher hopes that fan support may spark a turnaround, saying, "We have all the reason in the world to come out and play an energized game. Fans are going to bring the enthusiasm, bring the energy, and hopefully we can do our part as well.”
Montreal has weathered multiple four-game losing streaks this season. The team lost eight of 10 following a 5-2-1 start to its season between October 30 and November 18.
“It’s an 82-game season. There are going to be ups and downs,” he said. “We’re definitely on a downward.”
Gallagher acknowledges the team's current struggle but sees it as an opportunity for growth, character-building, and collective improvement.
“For us it’s another test of our character, your resolve and to grow as individuals and as a group. It’s not fun when you’re in these situations. Three games in which we didn’t get anywhere near the results we expect. It’s a matter of us continuing to grow. That’s important for our team,” he said.
Players to watch out for
Turning the spotlight on the impact players, forward Mathew Barzal leads the Islanders’ offense with 48 points consisting of 12 goals and 36 assists. Nelson, however, led in terms of goals, racking up 20 goals over the season. Combined with 17 assists, Nelson is fourth on the team with 37 points.
Meanwhile, center Bo Horvat has contributed 43 points to the team's success, including 19 goals and 24 assists.
For the Canadiens, center Nick Suzuki has been a standout offensive force with 39 points, closely followed by right winger Cole Caufield who has notched 36 points, 16 of which are goals. Defenseman Mike Matheson adds to the Canadiens’ offensive prowess with 32 points.
Both teams have key players on the injury list, with the Islanders missing the likes of defenseman Ryan Pulock, Robert Bortuzzo and center Casey Cizikas to lower body injuries. Meanwhile, Horvat is day to day after he sustained a face injury.
The Canadiens, on the other hand, are poised to be missing goaltender Carey Price and center Kirby Dach, who are out for knee injuries; center Christian Dvorak, who is out for pectoral injury; defenseman Chris Wideman, sidelined for back injury; and center Alexander Newhook, who is out for lower body injury.