Islanders Face Canadiens With Playoff Implications Aplenty: Lines & Notes

Romanov will miss his second straight game due to illness.

ELMONT, NY — With back-to-back comeback wins in the third period under their belts, the New York Islanders (31-28-8) face the Montreal Canadiens (33-27-7) with massive playoff implications.

Puck drop at UBS Arena is scheduled for 7:30, and the game can be found on MSGSN.

The Islanders and Canadiens last met on Dec. 3, 2024. Montreal picked up a 2-1 win in overtime on the back of a Nick Suzuki game-winner. Both teams sit 1-0-1 in the season series, entering their final meeting of the season.

The Islanders will be without Alexander Romanov for a second straight game due to illness.

PROJECTED LINEUP:

Holmstrom-Horvat-Palmieri

Lee-Pageau-Duclair

Engvall-Cizikas-Fasching

Tsyplakov-MacLean-Gatcomb

Pelech-DeAngelo

Dobson-Pulock

Reilly-Mayfield

Sorokin

Hogberg

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Who’s Hot:

Much like their win over the Florida Panthers on Sunday, four different players lit the lamp in their third-period comeback on Tuesday. Noah Dobson knotted up the game with his second in as many games, and Simon Holmstrom scored an empty netter to seal the deal once again.

Kyle Palmieri had three points in the victory on Sunday, notching a goal and two assists. It was his fifth three-point game as an Islander and 16th of his NHL career, last doing it with a hat trick against the Boston Bruins on March 2, 2024.

Anders Lee remains one point short of 500 for his NHL career. New York’s captain has 285 goals and 214 assists for 499 points in 826 career games. He can become the 13th player to accomplish the milestone with the club. Lee has goals in both games against the Canadiens this season.

Bo Horvat has the most career goals against the Canadiens among active Islanders, boasting 12 in 29 career games. Dobson leads the team in assists with 14 in 11 games, and Palmieri owns the most total points with 22 in 26 games.

Ilya Sorokin is projected to make his fifth straight start on Thursday. He earned the win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, making 21 saves on 23 shots. In six career games against Montreal, he is 4-0-2 with a

Opponents Notes:

Brendan Gallagher had three points in Montreal’s 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. It was the 11th three-point game of his NHL career. Christian Dvorak had a four-point night, the first of his career.

Montreal’s leading goal-scorer, Cole Caufield, has a five-game point streak against the Islanders. The sniper has five goals and three assists for eight points in that span, also setting a new career-high in goals with 33 entering Thursday.

Suzuki continued his dominance of New York with the OT winner and an assist in their last meeting. He has an eight-game point streak against the Islanders, boasting five goals and six assists for 11 points.

Josh Anderson leads the Canadiens in goals against the Islanders with nine in 23 career games. Mike Matheson, who has a helper in four straight games against them, leads in total assists with 12 in 29 games, and Gallagher has the most total points with 18 in 30 contests.

Sam Montembeault will face the Islanders on Thursday. He earned the win over the Senators on Tuesday with 22 saves on 25 shots. Against New York, he is 4-3-2 in 10 career matchups with a 2.30 GAA and .931 SV%, making 30 saves on 31 shots in their last meeting

MONTREAL LINES:

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Complimentary Parking!

Once again for the 2024-25 season, those that drive a BMW can receive complimentary single-game parking in the Emerald Parking lot.

Please click the BMW | Islanders image below for parking registration information,

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