First period
- Kirby Dach sends Joel Armia in on an early breakaway, Semyon Varlamov has to make two saves.
- Jake Evans had a great look off the rush. This game surprisingly open so far.
- Josh Anderson makes a great defensive play to help out the rookie pairing of Lane Hutson and Logan Mailloux. He looked like a defensive centre on that play, and you would never even joke about such a thing in his first few years.
- I think one reason for Kirby Dach’s slow start is that he’s constantly looking to pass the puck, and it’s obvious to the opponents as well. He’ll need to shoot some to open up his options.
- Emil Heineman tries to set up a cross-crease tap-in, but Varlamov gets in the way.
- Montreal does look better to start than they have recently.
- Cayden Primeau gets run into by Kyle Palmieri on one of the Islanders’ attempts, and takes a second to get up.
- I wonder if Palmieri had a flashback to getting Carey Price’s blocker to his kidneys after that contract.
- Lane Hutson goes to the box. Pivoting is one of the few things he doesn’t do well.
- The Islanders bump their 29th-ranked power play up with a goal from Bo Horvat in the slot.
- Palmieri makes it 2-0 on the Isles’ next shot.
- Jayden Struble looked like he is playing his first game of the season on that one as his man got in behind him, but it was a shot that Primeau should stop.
- Oliver Kapanen draws a high-sticking with 8.8 seconds to go.
- That’s more than enough time for Cole Caufield to get a couple of shots, going top shelf from the goal line on his second.
- Montreal was the better team in the period, so it’s good that they don’t end up down two goals after it. Now they need to do the same in the second while avoiding the big errors.
Second period
- An Islanders defenceman whacks the puck out of the air and over the boards while standing on his blue line. A borderline non-call on that one.
- Logan Mailloux doesn’t need a power play. He jumps up into the slot, accepts a pass and wires the puck off the post and in for his first NHL goal.
- Caufield gets a rare breakaway, but Varlamov makes the saves.
- Montreal spends four minutes in their own zone with the Hutson-Mailloux pairing and the fourth line on the ice. Not only do they not allow a goal, they miraculously avoid a penalty as well.
- Dach chose to shoot. He missed the net, but he still needs to do that.
- The Canadiens won the second period, even with the four-minute shift in their own zone. Their most consistent effort so far.
Third period
- Another long shift for the Hutson-Maillouc pairing to start the third. This one does result in a penalty, to Mailloux.
- Duclair is down, and it looks like a groin injury. That would be a big loss for the Islanders.
- New York has most of the control of the play in this period. Still 15 minutes to play, guys.
- Montreal finally gets in the offensive zone, and Armia takes a tripping penalty. It’s been a common one in this game.
- Jake Evans had two excellent PK shifts, getting the puck into the Isles’ zone on both of them.
- Jayden Struble made a couple of potentially goal-saving defensive plays. He’s settled into his first game of the season.
- Justin Barron stabs a player in the face, and that’s another penalty to Montreal. They’re not doing themselves any favours by playing in their end so much.
- Evans once again forces a zone exit.
- Now Anderson follows up with a great shift of his own.
- It’s great how good Montreal looks on the PK, but they really need to bring that to their five-on-five play.
- With under five minutes to go, the Islanders find their go-ahead goal off the stick of Anders Lee.
- Caufield spins and fires, and the puck gets through Varlamov and goes in. Caufield’s sixth goal. He’s on fire.
- An icing call on Montreal in the final 20 seconds.
- Evans gets a key shot block. Just award this point to him.
Overtime
- Should be advantage Montreal in this skill showcase.
- Matheson gets the first OT shift of Hutson.
- Seconds after stepping on the ice, Hutson nearly ends it on a cross-ice pass from Suzuki
- Kyle Palmieri has just become the all-time leader in drawn penalties with his 374th of this game. Dach to the box again.
- First minute down.
- Primeau makes a good stop after a couple of posts in the second one.
- Dach is free.
- One last rush for Hutson, but it doesn’t result in a quality shot.
Shootout
- Mathew Barzal goes first. He backhands his shot off the post.
- Caufield swings in wide, gets denied of a third goal of the game.
- Maxim Tsyplakov goes wide to his backhand but runs out of room.
- Nick Suzuki comes in slowly and Varlamov gets the pokecheck.
- Primeau stops Horvat. Stopping all three shots is the most you can ask for. Up to Lane Hutson now.
- Hutson is denied by Varlamov’s pad.
- Palmieri wires a shot to the top corner. He’s been all over this game.
- Oliver Kapanen scores, and we keep going.
- Simon Holmstrom dekes Primeau right out of the crease and just has to tuck it in.
- Heineman shows off his perfect shot with a top-corner snipe.
- Habs nemesis Jean-Gabriel Pageau is stopped. Another chance for the win.
- Alex Newhook is stopped. Rookies only, please.
- Brock Nelson shoots one off Primeau’s blocker.
- Matheson is stopped on a deke attempt.
- Former Hab Alexander Romanov’s shot is snared.
- Slafkovský is denied on the backhand.
- Noah Dobson picks his side and solves Primeau.
- Mailloux misses, and the Islanders take this one, 4-3.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) He’s rediscovered his touch
2) A real effort from him tonight.
1) Now that’s how you gain experience.
