Preview: New York Islanders look to claim top spot in Eastern Conference versus the Montreal Canadiens
The New York Islanders, winners of three of their last four games head to Montreal on Wednesday 27 October to take on another hot team – the Montreal Canadiens – who have won four of their last five games.
Previous meetings and recent games
Last year the Montreal Canadiens won the season series between these two teams winning three of the four games they played, while losing the fourth in a shootout.
During the pre-season this year the Canadiens beat the Isles by a score of 7-2.
Both teams are doing extremely well at the moment with the Canadiens coming off a big overtime win against the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday night. The Canadiens even sit atop the Eastern Conference with a
record of 5-2-1.
The Islanders fell 4-3 in their most recent game against the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Before that, the Islanders had won three games in a row. They currently sit in second place in the Atlantic Division
a single point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the Isles have a game in hand.
How they match up
The New York Islanders is quickly becoming John Tavares' team. The first overall draft pick two seasons ago has begun to take charge on the ice and is beginning to play the way the Islanders had hoped
he would. Despite the 4-3 loss in their last game, Tavares scored all three goals and leads the team with five goals so far this season.
The Canadiens leading goal scorer also has five on the season, and that distinction, at the moment, belongs to Andrei Kostitsyn. Kostitsyn has had his share of critics in recent seasons, but he looks to
be turning things around and has been a major factor in the team's recent success. He has also scored in three of his last four games.
In goal, the Canadiens might have the slight edge. Rick DiPietro, another former first overall draft pick, has struggled so far this season after coming back from two seasons which have been riddled with
injuries. So far this season DiPietro's record is 2-1-2 and he has a goals against average of 3.31 and a save percentage of .882. If however the Islanders decide to go with backup Dwayne Roloson, they might be better off. He's 2-1 on the season, with a
Carey Price who has been criticised in the past for his mediocre performances, and was the subject of controversy during the summer when the Canadiens shipped Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues effectively
giving the starting job to Price, has bounced back in a big way. Price's numbers have been solid between the pipes for the Habs and he recently recorded his first shutout in two seasons with a 3-0 win over the Senators.
What to expect
Special teams could be a huge factor in this game as the Canadiens power play unit has struggled this season and is second to last in the NHL. The Islanders, on the other hand, boast the league's fifth
best power play with Tavares scoring three times with the man advantage – tying him for the league lead.
The Canadiens are riding high at the moment and they've put together a series of solid performances. Cammalleri scored on the power play last game and if they can turn that area of their game around they
match up pretty well against the Islanders.
Prediction:
Canadiens win 4-2.
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