Who would have thought a late March matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders would have playoff implications? Yet, that’s what the March 20 game is, as the Canadiens are clinging to the final spot while the Islanders are only a few points out.
Related: 5 Islanders Observations Since the Brock Nelson Trade
It’s amazing how the two teams contrast, yet despite glaring issues, are alive in the playoff chase. The Islanders are winning low-scoring games while the Canadiens are getting the job done with offense, including scoring six goals in their March 18 victory over the Ottawa Senators. It makes for an intriguing game and a question about which style is better for 2024-25. One of these teams might sneak into the playoffs, and it will show the rest of the league whether it’s more important to build with defense or on the offensive end of the ice.
Patrick Roy & Martin St. Louis Coaching Differently
The Islanders have gone through three head coaches in the Lou Lamoriello era, and the best way to describe one hire to the next is a swinging pendulum. Barry Trotz was brought in to fix the defense, which he did. Then Lane Lambert was hired to speed up the pace and allow the Islanders to win with offense, which happened at the cost of any semblance of structure and defense.
Then Patrick Roy was hired in the middle of the 2023-24 season. He was brought in to bring discipline and structure back to the Islanders while also allowing them to win high-scoring games. Since he’s been hired, the offense has been below average and often one of the worst in the league, but the defense is what carries this team. It’s in part because Roy, a Hall of Fame goaltender back in the day himself, views the game from the goaltender’s perspective. It’s about protecting the goaltender and making sure the defense is great before the offense is.
Martin St. Louis was the first and only head coaching hire of Canadiens general manager (GM) Kent Hughes, and he had a different path. His playing days reflect how his teams play. St. Louis was one of the faster skaters on the ice and a threat in the offensive zone on every shift.
His coaching style not only helps out the younger skaters as he can mentor players like Juraj Slafkovsky but it’s allowed the offense to thrive. He lets the Canadiens play with a free-flowing and fast-paced offense, and it’s helped the most talented players on the roster play their best hockey.
Any great coach knows how to get the most out of their rosters. That’s why Roy is a great hire for an Islanders team built with defense and St. Louis has been the right hire for the Canadiens, where the forwards are the most talented on the team. Both coaches don’t have playoff-caliber teams per se, but they’ve gotten them into a position to possibly snag a wild card spot.
Islanders Win From the Net Out
Ideally, the Islanders have two great goaltenders they can lean on. It’s how they reached the Stanley Cup Semifinal in 2020 and 2021. While the position is decimated by injuries, the Islanders still have Ilya Sorokin playing at an elite level, and they’ve leaned on him to win games. Sorokin has been tasked with starting 51 of the 71 games for the team this season and while he’s not playing at the same level as Connor Hellebuyck, he’s the reason they are in the playoff hunt.
The same can be said about the defense, a unit decimated by injuries but is still carrying the team. The Islanders don’t have an elite two-way presence on their defense and instead, they have a lot of stay-at-home skaters who shut opponents down. Alexander Romanov, Ryan Pulock, and Adam Pelech can step up in their own end and create turnovers and while they won’t create instant scoring chances the other way, they’ll allow the Islanders to win low-scoring games.
The Islanders have seen their forward unit fall apart this season. Mathew Barzal is out long-term with an injury and Brock Nelson was traded at the deadline. It’s why they’ve won low-scoring games and if they make it to the playoffs, it will be on the back of great defensive play.
Canadiens Win With Their Young Stars Leading the Way
The Canadiens have a talented defensive unit. However, it’s built to fuel the offense with young skaters who can handle the puck and open up the offense. Lane Hutson is the leader of the defense and a star in the making, a two-way player who will possibly be a Calder Trophy winner.
The defense however isn’t what leads this team. It’s the rising stars in the forward unit. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have been around through the rough seasons and are entering their prime seasons and starting to take over games. Slafkovsky is only 20 years old and the growing pains of the NHL level were noticeable early on in the season, but he’s found his footing and proved he’s one of the rising power forwards in the league. This trio is talented enough to lead a top-of-the-league offense and the recent games have shown they can do just that.
The forward unit has enough star power that it makes Patrik Laine look like a role player. The Canadiens acquired Laine in the offseason with the hopes of adding a dynamic winger to the top six. They did, but considering the leap the young talent took on this roster, he’s integral to the team’s success.
Which Style Works in 2024-25?
Every team needs both to succeed. It’s a cliche that Stanley Cup-winning teams can score and also defend, something reflective in all the teams that end up on top. It’s why both the Canadiens and Islanders have addressed their needs, notably this offseason. Between the two, the Canadiens are better set up to succeed, but it’s not because of how they play.
The Canadiens are a team on the rise. They have a young and talented roster that is only getting better over time. The Islanders meanwhile have a team that is slowly on the decline. It’s not because they play a defensive-minded style of hockey, rather it’s because they are an aging team that is in dire need of a reset.
Both the Canadiens and Islanders are in good shape to make a playoff push. That said, they are both still a few steps away from contending. Which team do you think is set up better for success? Let us know in the comments section below.
