It seems a shame the NHL season is coming to an end because the Islanders are just starting to get it together. They have won four of their last five heading into tonight’s match with the Canadiens at the Nassau Coliseum (MSG Plus, WMJC 94.3 FM).
Three of those wins have come against potential playoff teams — Ottawa, Philadelphia and Calgary — but the Islanders (33-35-10) won’t be battling for Lord Stanley’s cup this spring. They are eight points behind in the race for the eighth playoff spot with four games remaining, very likely to miss the playoffs for the third year in a row.
So, they welcome the Canadiens (39-32-8) tonight with nothing but pride and an eye on the future to play for. The future looks bright with John Tavares, last year’s No. 1 draft pick, and Blake Comeau leading the way. Comeau, 24, has four goals and two assists in the last three games.
Tavares has struggled at times as he adjusts to the NHL, but he enters tonight’s game on a four-game point streak. He has 22 goals and 27 assists, numbers that are hard to sneeze at for a 19-year-old rookie.
When Tavares is playing well, the entire Islanders team plays well. They have already racked up 15 more points than they did last season, and that’s largely due to Tavares.
The Isles have won eight of their last 12 at home but they are hosting a Montreal team that is adept at winning on the road. The Canadiens are 19-16-4 as visitors.
They are led by Tomas Plekanec (24 goals, 45 assists), former Ranger and Devil Scott Gomez (12 goals and 44 assists) and former Devil Brian Gionta (25 goals and 17 assists).