Montreal Canadiens favourites to win against New York Islanders-NHL Preview
The two bottom teams from the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL), Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders, are against each other at Bell Centre, in Montreal this Saturday, March 17, 2012.
In view of their historical record in their favour, Canadiens are heading into the weekend game with a clearer advantage.
However, they being the second worst performer of the Eastern Conference, the win will add to nothing much significant to their current season’s achievements.
They are one point ahead of Islanders with 68 vs 67 points, and while the win over the weekend will certainly improve their standings, their dream of making it to playoffs this season remains well beyond its realisation.
Since all the records are in favour of Canadiens and that they have recently surge in the number of victories beating the visitors should not be a too tough challenge for them.
The team maintains the 14-2-4 record in the total 20 games they have played with Islanders, and this includes seven of the last 10 home victories.
Islanders have already lost a couple of games of this season, and if they do so this weekend, the record will be again in favour of the hosts, who should have won three out of the total four matchups of the season, then.
Canadiens have surged in the rating lately, by having able to win three out of the last five games. The team is upbeat about the weekend game, apparently already sensing a victory over Islanders.
Last game between the teams, which was played in Montreal was won by the hosts with five to three (5-3) goals margin. They will certainly look to improve the record to two successive home wins.
The scorecards of both teams show an identical performance by them. Both teams have won 28 games each, in the current season, and lost 32 each. There is only single-point difference in their overtime losses.
On contrary, Islanders are struggling to come out of their poor form, which has brought them on the brink of going down to the worst performance in a season, with the possibility of their losses streak extended to six successive games.
The team has had many chances but failed themselves completely. They are now only aiming to salvage their reputation by trying their best to score wins in the remaining games of the season.
They have about a dozen of games left to end the 2011-2012 NHL season run, which turns out to be a disappointing year of their history.
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