NHL Picks: John Tavares' return will lift Islanders over Canadiens – CBSSports.com
Welcome to the NHL Daily Picks where hockey writers Adam Gretz and Chris Peters make their picks for all of the day’s games.
New York Islanders vs. Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. ET
After missing the past three games due to a mystery illness, New York Islanders captain John Tavares will be back in the lineup on Thursday night when his team travels to Montreal for a game with the NHL’s top team, coach Jack Capuano announced on Thursday morning.
Capuano: @91Tavares is in the lineup for tonight’s game. Halak in net, Berube to backup. #Isles
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 5, 2015
The Islanders struggled in Tavares’ absence, winning just one of the three games (a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils) and managed to score just five goals after averaging more than 3.3 goals during the first 10 games of the season with him in the lineup. His return is perfect timing for the Islanders because Thursday’s game will be one of their biggest tests of the young season when they visit a Canadiens team that still has the best record in the league following their nine-game winning streak to open the season.
While the Islanders are getting their best player back on Thursday, Montreal will continue to be without its best player, starting goaltender Carey Price.
Price remains sidelined with a lower body injury and in recent years that development would have been a crushing blow to a Canadiens team that relied almost entirely on Price to make 35 saves and help them squeeze out 2-1 wins just about every night. But this season the Canadiens have managed a complete 180 in front of their All-Star goalie and are giving him the type of support he needs to help take the team to another level. They’re scoring more goals and they’re not asking their goaltenders to face as many shots.
That is a big reason why they have been able to pick up five of a possible six points in the standings since Price was sidelined, beating Calgary and Winnipeg and then losing a 2-1 decision to Ottawa in overtime.
The Islanders will present a pretty stiff challenge on Thursday night because with Tavares in the lineup they can be one of the best offensive teams in the league. Pick: Islanders 4, Canadiens 2
The rest of Thursday’s picks
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Buffalo Sabres 2
Washington Capitals 4, Boston Bruins 1
Ottawa Senators 3, Winnipeg Jets 2
Minnesota Wild 2, Nashville Predators 1
Philadelphia Flyers 3, Calgary Flames 2
Arizona Coyotes 5, Colorado Avalanche 4
San Jose Sharks 4, Florida Panthers 2
Los Angeles Kings 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 1
John Tavares returns to the New York Islanders lineup on Thursday night. (USATSI)
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