Islanders not looking postseason-worthy
Lose fourth straight to sink four points back in east playoff race
The Islanders continued their steady nosedive out of playoff contention Wednesday night in Montreal, suffering a 3-1 loss to the Canadiens in the opener of a home-and-home set before 21,302 fans at the Bell Centre.
Super rookie Mathew Barzal opened the scoring for New York with his 18th goal of the season off assists from Jordan Eberle and Thomas Hickey, but the Isles would not hit the back of the net again, falling to 4-8-2 in their last 14 contests.
“It’s frustrating. The chances were there,” insisted Barzal, who leads all NHL first-year players with 67 points. “That game was winnable.”