Overview
- Montreal sits third in the Atlantic at 84 points with a game in hand, while New York trails by one point entering tonight’s 7 pm ET meeting.
- Rookie Jacob Fowler is confirmed to start for the Canadiens, with Ilya Sorokin projected for the Islanders after a dominant career record against Montreal.
- Both teams are seeking a response after late-game losses on Thursday, including a Mike Matheson miscue that decided the Canadiens’ setback in Detroit.
- Cole Caufield leads Montreal with 40 goals and prolific Saturday production, while Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer paces NHL first-years with 21 goals and 50 points.
- Given New York’s perfect 10-0 overtime mark and Montreal’s shootout struggles, the Canadiens are urged to push for a result in regulation as their scoring has dipped over the last six games.