Andrew Ladd notched two goals to help the New York Islanders extend their point streak to six.
- Montreal Canadiens 1 (29-14-7)
- New York Islanders 3 (21-17-9)
- NHL Final, Box Score
- Barclays Center, Brooklyn NY
It wasn’t supposed to be this painless for Doug Weight.
The Isles’ interim head coach inherited a fledgling team in danger of missing the postseason for the first time in three annums.
But since Weight’s taken over the reigns of the Brooklyn-based squad, his team has notched points in five consecutive games (six when counting Jack Capuano‘s last game at the helm).
It’s a small sample size, sure, but he’s been implementing his largest change to perfection: as Newsday‘s Arthur Staple reported, the team’s centers are swinging smaller in the defensive zone — something Weight calls “a team of three” — which has resulted in more time spent in the offensive part of the ice.
Despite out-shooting the Canadiens by seventeen through two periods, the Isles entered the final intermission with the score knotted at one. Andrew Ladd tallied his ninth of the season midway through the first period, but Shea Weber notched his league-leading tenth power play dinger as the second frame neared its conclusion.
Ladd goal pic.twitter.com/hNpdIN7aWY
— steph (@myregularface) January 27, 2017
The Isles escaped trouble at the start of the third, when the referees handed both teams — not just New York — minor penalties; Adam Pelech for hooking and Paul Byron for embellishment.
Ladd notched his second of the game with a howitzer on that 4-on-4. The Isles later put the game out of reach with another blast, this time from Josh Bailey. As per usual, John Tavares had multiple helpers on the night.
Ladd x2 pic.twitter.com/K1iPYMJaPi
— steph (@myregularface) January 27, 2017
The Isles return to action on Tuesday night, when they’ll take on the first-place Washington Capitals at Barclays Center.
