Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki secured the game-winning goal in overtime against the New York Islanders, but it was his teammate Patrik Laine who shone in his debut as the Canadiens defeated the visiting Islanders 2-1 on Tuesday.
Laine netted the other goal for the Canadiens, scoring on a power play 7:23 into the second period. After being sidelined since the preseason due to a knee injury, Laine became the 600th player in the team’s history to score, according to broadcaster RDS. He scored from the faceoff circle, beating Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin while Hudson Fasching was serving a high-sticking penalty. Defenseman Lane Hutson also contributed with an assist, marking a point in his fourth consecutive game, making him the first Canadiens defenseman 20 or younger to achieve this, as reported by RDS.
The Islanders responded late in the second period with Anders Lee, who ended Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault’s shutout attempt. Defenseman Noah Dobson kept the puck in the offensive zone and set it up for Lee, who was initially thwarted on his breakaway but managed to score on the rebound, tying the game before the third period.
In overtime, the Islanders narrowly avoided a predicament when forward Maxim Tsyplakov was initially penalized for high-sticking defenseman Kaiden Guhle. However, the referees reversed their decision, concluding that Mike Matheson had caused the infraction. This led both teams into overtime at even strength, where Suzuki scored at 2:39, putting an end to the Canadiens’ two-game losing streak.
With four losses in their last six games, the Canadiens now have a record of 9-13-3. They will continue their five-game homestand on Thursday, Dec. 5, against the Nashville Predators. The Islanders, now 9-10-7 and having lost four out of their last five, will head back home to face the Seattle Kraken that same Thursday.
