Call of the Wild: New York Islanders beat Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in tough overtime – Montreal

After the Canadiens travel to New York to face the Islanders on Thursday night, only two games against the Senators and Red Wings remain on the schedule.

It was a must-win for the Isles' playoff hopes, but they had a hard time seeing off the Montreal Canadiens. The Isles needed overtime to eclipse the Canadians 3-2.

Wild horses

It was Samuel Montembo's night. He is one of the top goaltenders in the entire NHL in steals. Montembo was again in a sloppy mood as the Canadians were soundly beaten by the Islanders.

Montreal managed just 15 shots, while the Islanders had 34. Montembo had to make many quality saves.

Many people do not believe in the goals that Canadians have for the future. The reason for this is a lack of pedigree, as no Canadiens goaltender is as highly valued as Carey Price, who was drafted fifth overall. Montemboault was picked off waivers from Florida, and Kaiden Prayau was a seventh-round pick.

However, keep a close eye on the games and consider the high performance of both. Online, the Canadiens say the rebuild is complete. The Canadiens also have a third goaltender in Jacob Fowler, who is becoming a reliable NHL player.

Montembeau was the standout for Montreal as the Canadiens struggled to create chances on offense. The highlight of the first two periods was their only goal. Jordan Harris' shot would have been an easy save, except Juraj Slafkowski was doing his Giant Man impersonation.

Slafkowski put his big frame in front of the net, then he physically pulled the defender to distract him, then stood right in front of the goalie who didn't see the shot. Slafkowski didn't get a point in the goal, but all his work paid off.

In the third period, in just his 12th at-bat, Cole Caufield slid one home on good work by Slafkowski, but he again failed to get an assist. Caufield now has 25 goals this season, just one off his career high from last season.

Mike Matheson had an assist on Caufield's goal for his 50th assist of the season. Interestingly, Matheson is only the sixth defenseman to reach this mark for Montreal. It's important company for the 115-year-old franchise.

Wild goats

The Islanders were desperate in this situation. The result was a must have for their playoff chances. The Canadiens have been close all season. They have rarely exploded this season.

It's a credit to their work ethic and the buy-in the head coach has made in the room. Save the goats when they are frustrated.

Wild cards

Lane Hutson's watch has begun. Hutson finished his second season of college hockey after Boston University lost to Denver in the national semifinals in St. Paul, Minn.

Hutson finished the season with 49 points, a duplicate of his 48-point freshman season. The Terriers were the better side for most of the contest but were forced to kill off an eight-minute penalty, but they couldn't get themselves a strong performance.

It's a trend now

• In an Italian church, a 22-year-old woman was found dead of blood loss and neck injuries

• Rescued from a deserted island by writing “HELP” on palm leaves

The Pioneers won 2-1 in overtime to advance to the finals, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal between Boston College and Michigan.

Hutson can now sign with the Canadiens and is expected to do so on Friday or Saturday, but there are no guarantees. General manager Kent Hughes was at the Minnesota game, which could be significant, though he'll enjoy watching and cheering on his son in the big game.

If Hutson signs, he will have the chance to sit out the final two games on Monday and Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings.

If he plays those games, it will add to the first season of his entry-level contract. This is a cookie given to college members at the end of seasons to ensure they are signed in good order. NHL GMs aren't making the first year of their contract for just two games, but they need to sort that out before it complicates business.

Luke Tuch is also available for the Canadiens to sign. It's unclear what the organization plans for the Terriers going forward. Tuch would be a useful player for the organization. He is big and fast, and the club needs strikers in both Montreal and Laval.

Montreal sports writer Brian Wild brings you the Wild Call after every Canadiens game on globalnews.ca.

© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.