Canadiens at Islanders
THE STORY: The New York Islanders have seen plenty of extra hockey lately. They'll try to get things wrapped up in 60 tidy minutes Thursday as they entertain the Montreal Canadiens in an Eastern Conference matchup. Five of New York's last seven games have gone to extra time, including the last three in a row. The last one was a doozy, as the Islanders escaped with a 1-0 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers after the teams played 65 minutes of scoreless hockey. Montreal is coming off its own shootout victory, an eight-round, 3-2 classic over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, RDS, MSG Plus 2
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (21-24-9): With its playoff hopes flickering, Montreal is doing whatever it can to remain alive in the postseason picture. Consecutive victories over Winnipeg and Pittsburgh barely made a dent in the standings, as Montreal comes into Thursday's contest 10 points back of eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Upcoming games against divisional rivals Toronto (Saturday), Boston (Wednesday) and Buffalo (Feb. 17) could make or break the Canadiens' playoff chances.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (22-22-8): New York is also a longshot to reach the Stanley Cup tournament, though its recent play is cause for optimism. The Islanders have gone 6-1-2 over their last nine games, with victories over Philadelphia (twice) and Ottawa among the conquests. Tuesday's shootout win over the Flyers was a game the Isles had no business winning after they were outshot by a ridiculous 45-17 margin in regulation and overtime.
OVERTIME:
1. The Canadiens and Islanders have split two previous meetings this season, with the home team prevailing both times.
2. Islanders leading scorer John Tavares erupted for 22 points in 13 January games but has been held off the scoresheet in his first three February contests.
3. Montreal has the second-worst winning percentage in the NHL when scoring first, going just 13-8-6 (.464). The Islanders are 16-3-5 (.667) when they strike first.