Forward Patrik Laine will make his Canadiens debut on Tuesday night when Montreal hosts the New York Islanders.
Laine, whom the Habs acquired in an offseason trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, suffered a knee injury during a preseason game on Sept. 28. Montreal returned forward Joshua Roy to American Hockey League affiliate Laval on Monday and did not make a corresponding move, suggesting Laine’s return was imminent.
The Canadiens announced Tuesday morning that Laine was activated off injured reserve and will make his regular season debut versus the Islanders.
Laine, 26, tallied 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 55 games for Columbus in 2022-23. Last season was more difficult, as he appeared in just 18 games and tallied nine points, suffered a fractured clavicle and voluntarily entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
The Canadiens were doubled up 6-3 at Boston on Sunday to wrap up a three-game road trip. Montreal has lost two straight games and has just one win in its last five (1-3-1).
Cole Caufield scored twice for the Habs, who also got a goal from Emil Heineman. Captain Nick Suzuki had two assists and Cayden Primeau made 24 saves.
Montreal fell behind 4-0 less than a minute into the second period but pulled within 5-3 on Caufield’s second tally with 13:22 left in the third. Boston sealed the win on an empty-net goal with 2:14 remaining.
“I didn’t think the game was lopsided at all,” Caufield said. “We give them those three goals early, and then a couple later there, and again, it’s just tough to climb out. I think we clean those things up, we have a game and maybe it goes our way. I don’t think we changed our game at all, just kind of (needed to) have that urgency from puck drop.”
Caufield paces the Habs with 16 goals in 24 games this season, while Suzuki has the team lead in points (24) in as many games.
Sam Montembeault is 6-10-2 with an .897 save percentage and a 3.12 goals-against average in 18 games this season. In nine career appearances (eight starts) against the Islanders, the 28-year-old is 3-2-3 with a .927 save percentage and a 2.46 GAA.
Tuesday is the second of three regular-season meetings between the clubs. The Islanders edged the visiting Canadiens 4-3 in a shootout on Oct. 19.
Noah Dobson scored the winner in the ninth round of the shootout and added two assists. Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee also scored for the Islanders. Montreal got two goals from Caufield and one from Logan Mailloux.
The Islanders enter Tuesday’s contest on a higher note after blanking Buffalo 3-0 on Saturday to stop a three-game slide. Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves for his first shutout of the season.
Simon Holmstrom scored twice and Lee picked up a goal and an assist. Holmstrom has four goals over his last two games, while Lee has two goals and three assists in his last two outings.
“I thought we played strong for 60 minutes from the start to the end,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. “Our power play scored a big goal for us. Our penalty-killing was really good, and we were outstanding at 5-on-6. We had a huge save at the start of the third period, and I thought that was the key to the game.”
Palmieri, Lee and Brock Nelson each have 10 goals in 25 games to pace the Islanders, while Palmieri also has a team-leading 20 points.
Sorokin is 6-6-3 in 15 starts this season, posting a .915 save percentage and a 2.52 GAA. In five career appearances against the Habs, Sorokin is 4-0-1 with a 1.38 GAA and a .954 save percentage.
The Islanders recalled goaltender Marcus Hogberg on an emergency basis for Monday’s practice. The club announced that Semyon Varlamov is day-to-day with a lower-body injury but will travel to Montreal.
–Field Level Media
