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Debut for Hammond | PREVIEW: MTL @ NYI

Rick Stephens
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Debut for Hammond | PREVIEW: MTL @ NYI

GAME DAY PREVIEW | Montreal Canadiens vs New York Islanders: Preview, TV, Start Time, Statistical Match-up, Projected Lines, Starting Goalies, Keys to Victory, Habs Tickets

Game Preview 

A Look Back

Playing his 500th career NHL game, Paul Byron opened the scoring. Before the first period was over the Blues tied it with a shorthanded goal. The game remained tied at one goal apiece until late in the third when the two teams traded goals in the last two minutes. Cole Caufield played the overtime hero knocking in a cross-crease pass from Jeff Petry.

Last game: MTL 3  BUF 2  F/OT

For a complete game recap: Long Overdue | RECAP: STL @ MTL

Players to Watch

  • Jeff Petry
    Petry played one of his better games of the season against the Blues. The 34-year-old has three points in his last two contests and may be starting to turn his season around after being freed from the coaching system of Dominique Ducharme.
  • Andrew Hammond
    Hammond is expected to make his Canadiens debut after being acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Wild one week ago. It will be his first NHL start in four years. Since then, the ‘Hamburgular’ has played 77 games in the AHL. Hammond will wear No. 37.
  • Cole Caufield
    Under Dominique Ducharme, Caufield managed to score just one goal over a 32-game span. Since the coaching change, Caufield has struggled in his own zone by has once again found his scoring touch, with four goals in four games.

Keys to Victory

  • Protect the crease
    The Islanders find themselves in 25th place overall in the NHL primarily due to their inability to score goals. This could be a blessing to a goaltender making his Canadiens debut. Habs defence need to do their part in front of him.
  • Make it count
    While scoring is a struggle, the Islanders are sixth in the league in goals against per game. The Canadiens will have to be patient and be opportunistic with their scoring opportunities.
  • Be disciplined
    The Islanders are a very disciplined team holding the opposition to two or fewer power-plays in 12 consecutive games. The Canadiens will have to ensure that they aren’t gifting the Islanders too many opportunities with the man advantage.
Statistical Matchup for Game 50
UBS Arena, Belmont Park, NY | February 20, 2:00 PM ET | TV: TSN2, RDS, ESPN+, MSG+

2021-22  statistics
ISLANDERS CANADIENS
42 (25th) Points (rank) 25 (32nd)
18-20-6 Record 9-33-7
W1 Streak W1
4-6-0 Last 10 1-8-1
2.46 (29th) GF/G (rank) 2.20 (32nd)
2.73 (6th) GA/G (rank) 3.94 (32nd)
18.6 (22nd) PP% (rank) 13.0 (31st)
82.4 (10th) PK%  (rank) 73.8 (30th)
51.6  Faceoff % 48.2
Pre-game Quotes
Andrew Hammond

  • “I’m through-the-roof excited.”
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Lee – Barzal – Palmieri
Bellows – Nelson – Beauvillier
Parise – Pageau – Bailey
Martin – Cizikas – Clutterbuck		 Caufield – Suzuki – Anderson
Hoffman – Dauphin – Gallagher
R. Pitlick – Evans – Byron
Pezzetta – Poehling – Lehkonen
Defensemen
Pelech – Mayfield
Chara – Dobson
Aho – Pulock		 Kulak – Petry
Chiarot – Romanov
Clague – Wideman
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Johnston, Greene
Injured: Bailey, Wahlstrom
COVID-19: Varlamov		 Scratched: Paquette, T. Pitlick
Injured: Armia (upper-body), Dvorak (upper-body), Savard (ankle), Allen (lower-body), Drouin (wrist), Perreault (lower-body), Edmundson (back), Price (knee), Weber (multiple injuries)
COVID-19: Schueneman
Goalies
Ilya Sorokin Andrew Hammond
Record: 15-11-5
GAA: 2.46
Sv%: .921
SO: 4
Alternate: Cory Schneider		 Record: 0-0-0
GAA: 0.00
Sv%: .000
SO: 0
Alternate: Sam Montembeault
 Game Expectations
This will be the Canadiens first appearance in the UBS arena, newly built for the Islanders. The 17,255 fans will be loud and could have an adverse effect on the Canadiens as they’ve been playing in an empty Bell Centre. As they did at home against the Blues, striking first will be a major factor in propelling the Canadiens in the right direction to gaining a win in New York.

Bottom Line

The Islanders and Canadiens could have met in the Stanley Cup Final last season if not for the Lightning eliminating the Isles in seven games in the semi-final. Since then, both teams have taken a nose dive in the standings with the Canadiens suffering the worse fate. It will be two proud but struggling franchises facing off in a matinee tilt in Long Island.
 Video Highlights

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