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Islanders News: Never an easy task to go into Montreal

Not every game is a Monet, but that one was kind of a Picasso.

By Steven E. Smith
New York Islanders v Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens were on all the loose pucks last night.
Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images

Well, that was enormously frustrating to watch. But bad games happen, and the desperate team that came in winless in eight played like they needed that win. The Canadiens deserved that win, the Islanders did not.

No matter. What’s important is how they respond Thursday night at the Coliseum. A good team in the Vegas Golden Knights will be there waiting for them.

Islanders News

Recaps from a bad Hab-it (I know, this is the worst one yet): LHH | Islanders | Newsday | NHL | Montreal Gazette | NYI Skinny

Barry Trotz knows the Islanders didn’t deserve to win this one:

On the second Habs goal, it appeared Brendan Gallagher knocked the puck down with a high-stick in front of Thomas Greiss before putting it in the net, but Trotz opted not to challenge for fear of getting penalized. [Newsday]

Speaking of Greiss, at one point later in the game, he lost a skate blade and it wasn’t a quick fix, so Semyon Varlamov had to come in for a brief spell until it was fixed. Arthur Staple recalls another time this happened:

  • Montreal honored their former captains before the game, which probably juiced up the current squad a little bit, on top of the eight-game-losing-streak desperation they had. [EOTP]
  • Let’s check in with the team below us and see how they’re doing. [Bridgeport Report]
  • Two of them, Mason Jobst and Carter Hutton, embrace their Indiana roots. [Sound Tigers]
  • The Islanders wives and girlfriends went toy shopping for kids in local hospitals. [Islanders]
  • And the Sound Tigers gave thanks to their local first responders. [Sound Tigers]
  • The organization is continuing the Hockey with a Heart initiative and they’ll host numerous charities over the course of the season. [Islanders]
  • Get your 2020 Pucks & Paws calendar today, folks. Less than a month until the new year. [Islanders]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL games include the Flyers stomping on the Maple Leafs and the Capitals beating the Sharks late at night. The other Metro teams keep winning.

  • The Devils fired coach John Hynes after their 7-1 meltdown in Buffalo two nights ago. Alain Nasreddine replaces him on an interim basis. [NHL]
  • New Jersey’s pretty much out of the race this year, so who might be available in trade? [AATJ]
  • Matt Stajan has officially retired from hockey; he last played in the NHL in 2017-18. He played 1,003 games between the Leafs and the Flames. [NHL]

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