Hockey

Patrick Roy and the Islanders win after a (very long) shootout
Michael Johnson
Patrick Roy and the Islanders win after a (very long) shootout
Credit: Getty Images

Tonight, the Canadiens were on Long Island to face Patrick Roy and the Islanders. Martin St-Louis's team were eager to put Thursday's loss to the Kings behind them.

For the occasion, a number of changes were made to the line-up. Juraj Slafkovský and Mike Matheson, who were uncertain cases, were in uniform, while Jayden Struble and Logan Mailloux took the place of Kaiden Guhle (injured) and Arber Xhekaj (sidelined).

So it looked like this:

On the Islanders' side, Semyon Varlamov was in front of the net.

Here's the lineup Patrick Roy sent into the fray:

In the first period, the Habs looked like a team looking to make up for a tough week. The club started the game well… but couldn't find the back of the net.

The Islanders were more opportunistic, as Bo Horvat scored the game's first goal.

Then, a few minutes later, Kyle Palmieri doubled his team's lead.

His good wrist shot got the better of Cayden Primeau, who was rather helpless on the sequence.

That said, with only a handful of seconds left in the first period, the Habs took advantage of a powerplay… and Cole Caufield scored his fifth goal of the season.

A great way to end a period with momentum.

And clearly, momentum gave the Habs players gas early in the second period. At least, it did for Logan Mailloux, who scored his first career NHL goal.

The kid's got a good shot… and he reminded everyone of it.

The rest of the second period was quieter, with both clubs returning to the locker room level.

In the third period, Anthony Duclair attempted a breakthrough in the offensive zone, but found himself in a rather peculiar position.

He lay on the ground for a few minutes and then left the game. We hope he avoided the worst.

The Canadiens, for their part, were rather undisciplined in the third. This allowed the Islanders to get into a bit of a rhythm, and despite some fine saves from Cayden Primeau, what had to happen happened.

Anders Lee gave the Islanders the lead with minutes to spare in the third period. Justin Barron had a tough time of it.

That said, the Habs didn't give up… and the club's efforts paid off. Cole Caufield (again) scored another goal… and that brought the score back to 3-3.

The maverick has now scored six goals in six games. Not bad.

In the end, we needed overtime to decide the tie.

Lane Hutson almost gave the Habs the win, but Varlamov frustrated him with a fine save.

Kirby Dach then took a nasty penalty… but the Habs' numerical disadvantage held firm.

On to the shootout.

Mathew Barzal hit the post, and Cole Caufield was frustrated by Varlamov.

Maxim Tsyplakov missed, and Nick Suzuki had the disc pulled by the Islanders' goalie.

Bo Horvat couldn't beat Primeau, and Lane Hutson couldn't give his team the win.

Kyle Palmieri scored the first goal of the session with a great shot… but Oliver Kapanen extended the fun by hitting the target.

Simon Holmstrom completely outwitted Primeau… but Emil Heineman forced a sixth round with a beautiful shot.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Alex Newhook both missed.

Brock Nelson and Mike Matheson also missed.

Alexander Romanov (yes, yes) fired a shot into Primeau's mitt… and Juraj Slafkovský was unable to score.

Noah Dobson hit the target… and Logan Mailloux missed completely.

The Islanders win after nine rounds of shootout.

Final score: 4-3 New York (TDB)

The Canadiens return to action on Tuesday evening, when the Rangers visit the Bell Centre. Note that the match is scheduled for 7:15 p.m., not 7 p.m.


Extended time

– After a pathetic effort Thursday night against the Kings, the Habs responded well tonight. It wasn't a perfect game, but it was already much better than what the club offered on Thursday.

– Will this be a permanent change?

– Cayden Primeau bounced back well after a tough first period, but he can thank his goalposts most of all. They stopped 3-4 shots on their own.

– In the second period, the Islanders had an interminable presence in the Canadiens' zone. The Habs players all spent several minutes on the ice, and Logan Mailloux spent 3:58 in his zone. Legend has it that the Islanders are still circling the Habs zone as we speak…

– Jake Evans continues to impress.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!