Overview
- Puck drop is 7:00 p.m. ET in Montreal, with TSN2 and RDS in the Canadiens region, MSGSN in the Islanders region, and streaming on ESPN+, RDS, and TSN+.
- Montreal enters at 32-17-8 with 72 points for second in the Atlantic, while New York is 32-21-5 with 69 points for third in the Metropolitan.
- Alex Newhook returns on Montreal’s third line with Jake Evans and Alex Texier after a fractured ankle; he posted 12 points in his first 16 games.
- Samuel Montembeault starts for the Canadiens after a 36-save win before the break, and Ilya Sorokin is slated to start for the Islanders.
- New York contends with Sidney Crosby’s short-term lower-body injury from Milan as rookie Matthew Schaefer arrives with 39 points and Calder Trophy buzz.