The Montreal Canadiens looked to keep their hot start going when they brought their 5-0-1 record into Barclays Center to face the New York Islanders. With Jaroslav Halak up in the pressbox, Thomas Greiss got the start for New York, squaring off against Al Montoya.
The game started off slowly, with both teams struggling to find their legs and fighting questionable ice conditions in the opening frame. With very few chances between the two teams, they headed to the dressing room with the shots 8-5 in favour of the Islanders, but with relatively even possession numbers.
Michel Therrien activated the blender to start the second period.