The Islanders are far from being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
But Sunday afternoon’s 3-2 shootout loss to the NHL-worst Canadiens, whose journeyman goalie was playing his first NHL game in almost four years, is likely the final proof positive they are not a contender.
Ilya Sorokin, again allowing a questionable goal but strong otherwise in his sixth straight start, stopped 24 shots for the Islanders (18-20-7), who have not won consecutive games since Jan. 17-21. They open a five-game road trip on Tuesday night against the expansion Seattle Kraken and are 17 points out of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.
The Canadiens (10-33-7), who have fallen on tough times since losing to the Lightning in last year's Stanley Cup Final, won their second straight under interim coach Martin St. Louis.
Goalie Andrew Hammond, 34, making only his 57th NHL appearance and first since starting for the Avalanche on March 28, 2018, made 30 saves.
Anthony Beauvillier opened the shootout by scoring after deking around Hammond. But Sorokin allowed consecutive goals to Cole Caufield and Rem Pitlick while Hammond denied Mathew Barzal, who hit the post with a backhander, and Brock Nelson to earn the win.
Nelson saved the Islanders from a brutal regulation loss, swooping in for a puck left loose in the Canadiens’ zone and beating Hammond through his pads to tie the game at 2 with 2:57 left in regulation.
The Islanders outshot the Canadiens 13-5 in the second period and Kyle Palmieri’s power-play goal at 1:29 as he got to the crease to knock in a rebound tied the game at 1. Palmieri has three goals in three games since returning to the lineup after a three-game absence.
The goal came after the Islanders could not convert on their first five-on-three power play of the season. They started the period with 37 seconds of a two-man advantage that did not yield a shot.
The Canadiens regained a one-goal lead as Josh Anderson beat Sorokin with a sharp-angle shot to the short side from the left at 18:49 of the second period.
The Canadiens, who have been outscored 59-28 in the first period this season, took a 1-0 lead at 9:01 on defenseman Jeff Petry’s shot with teammate Michael Pezzetta and Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock creating a screen.
It marked the 11th time in 12 games the Islanders have allowed the opening goal.
