The New York Islanders got an enormous assist Tuesday on their off day.
The woeful Chicago Blackhawks earned a 5-2 win at Pittsburgh, leaving the Islanders with a one-point lead over the Penguins in the chase for the final Eastern Conference wild card.
New York plays its regular-season finale against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday in Elmont, N.Y., and a win or an overtime loss would send the Islanders to the postseason.
The Florida Panthers (42-31-8, 92 points) clinched one of the East’s two wild cards on Tuesday when the Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres both lost.
The Islanders (41-31-9, 91 points) and the Penguins (40-31-10, 90 points) are left to battle for the last berth, each with one game remaining. Pittsburgh visits the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
New York had won two in a row and four of its last six games before dropping a costly 5-2 decision to the Washington Capitals on Monday.
“It’s extremely frustrating,” Islanders coach Lane Lambert said. “We knew what we had to do, and we didn’t get it done. We just have to move on and get it done on Wednesday.”
Hudson Fasching scored a goal in the third period to extend his point streak to three games (two goals, one assist).
Defenseman Noah Dobson set up Fasching’s goal to increase his point streak to three games (four assists). Dobson notched three assists in two games versus the Canadiens this season.
Casey Cizikas tallied in the third period on Monday. He also scored a goal in New York’s 2-1 victory over Montreal on Jan. 14.
“We just got to make sure we’re ready,” Cizikas said. “We have to know what’s at stake, and we have to know what we’re playing for.”
While the Islanders are keeping tabs on the standings, the Canadiens (31-43-6, 68 points) presumably have their eyes fixed on the golf course after being eliminated from postseason contention.
Montreal sustained its fifth loss in six games with a 7-1 thrashing by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Johnathan Kovacevic scored early in the second period to trim the Maple Leafs’ lead to 2-1, but it was all downhill from there for the Canadiens.
“It’s definitely frustrating,” Montreal defenseman Joel Edmundson said. “Especially for these games, we get excited. It’s Saturday night in Toronto, it’s a big rival.
“We get excited for these games, so to go out there and leave (goaltender Sam Montembeault) out to dry and just play the game we did, it’s frustrating. They just came with a lot of pace, which we expected, but we didn’t respond well to it.”
The Canadiens recalled forward Joel Teasdale and defenseman Frederic Allard from the Laval Rocket of the AHL on an emergency basis on Tuesday.
Teasdale has totaled 38 points (23 goals, 15 assists) in 57 games with Laval this season. The 24-year-old has yet to make his NHL debut.
Allard has been held off the scoresheet in five games with the Rocket since being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings at the trade deadline. He suited up with Montreal on March 5 in a game versus the Vegas Golden Knights.
–Field Level Media
