The Montreal Canadiens face the New York Islanders with both teams heading in opposite directions to end the regular season. The Canadiens have a 31-43-6 record and have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference while the Islanders have a 41-31-9 record and are fighting for one of the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens are looking to end a rough season with a win while the Islanders hope to secure a playoff spot and the upcoming game should be a good one as a result.
The Canadiens are having a season to forget with their offense struggling, scoring only 2.76 goals per game including only seven goals in the last four games. Nick Suzuki and Mike Hoffman have scored 38 goals and 60 assists but the rest of the offense has been awful. Only two active skaters have 10 goals or more and opponents can eliminate the hapless offense as a result.
The offense has struggled but the defense has let the Canadiens down this year, allowing 3.70 goals per game with 14 goals in the last three games. Johnathan Kovacevic and Mike Matheson have combined for 5.5 defensive point shares but the rest of the unit has struggled, allowing opponents to find open shots on the net at will. Additionally, goaltender Samuel Mountembeault has struggled with a .904 save percentage and a 3.36 goals-against average on 1289 shots with -0.6 goals saved above average.