MONTREAL — To date, that is the season of 1 step ahead and two steps again for the Islanders.
Though the workforce’s present aim of treading water till getting wholesome is as modest because it will get, stacking a pair wins remains to be essential to get again to NHL-.500 — and it’s one thing the Islanders have struggled to do time and again.
There aren’t any simple video games, so goes the cliche, however Tuesday night time towards the Canadiens, who sit on the backside of the Japanese Convention, was about nearly as good an opportunity because the Islanders may have requested for to construct on Saturday’s win over Buffalo.
As a substitute, they’re flying residence as 2-1 losers on Nick Suziki’s additional time winner after one other lackluster third interval, although at the very least this one wasn’t a blown lead.
The defense-first, forecheck-heavy and low-event hockey that the Islanders have began taking part in frequently of late is likely to be a necessity with Mat Barzal and Anthony Duclair, two of their finest offensive gamers, amongst the injured.
However it has generally left them wanting like a workforce with out many concepts for methods to rating, and Tuesday fell into that class.
It didn’t assist issues that Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault placed on a present in entrance of the largest Habs goaltending legend of all, Patrick Roy.
With the Islanders searching for a aim on a second-period energy play, Montembeault stoned Brock Nelson on consecutive probabilities in tight.
He then dove to make a save on Max Tsyplakov and one way or the other snared the rebound from Jean-Gabriel Pageau. All that was lacking was a wink to the digicam.
