Noah Dobson injury: What we know so far about Islanders defenseman's exit during Montreal OT win

The New York Islanders' thrilling overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday was marred by the sudden departure of key defenseman Noah Dobson.

The 24-year-old who started the game failed to return after skating off the ice in the first period with 5:33 left on the clock.

Their head coach, Patrick Roy, later addressed the media post-game, revealing that the defenseman had sustained an upper-body injury and would undergo further evaluation. The exact details of the injury, though, weren't revealed.

However, the sequence of events leading to Dobson's exit shed light on how he potentially picked up the injury.

After reviewing a clip shared by @DrakeMT on X (formerly Twitter), it's evident that the defenseman was stuck in the crossfire of a duel involving teammate Alexander Romanov and Canadiens' Cole Caufield.

As Romanov and Caufield dueled along the sideboard, Dobson rushed in to support his teammate and gain possession of the puck. However, in the ensuing battle, Romanov seemingly accidentally slashed Dobson's left wrist with his stick.

Following the hit, Dobson did not return to the ice and was not present on the team bench either.

The Islanders will hope the Canadian defenseman's injury is nothing severe, as they'll want a fully fit squad to push in the final stages of the season.

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How can the New York Islanders still clinch a playoff spot?

The Islanders' impressive 3-2 OT win against the Canadiens saw them pick up two crucial points in their pursuit of a playoff berth.

Currently third in the Metropolitan Division, the side has a chance to seal their fate this Saturday itself, although that would require some help from other teams.

The New York-based side currently has 89 points to their name, while the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals have 86 and 85, respectively.

With each team having played 79 games so far, this is the scenario in which the side from the Big Apple would need to seal their ticket to the playoffs.

Islanders players celebrate after scoring against New York Rangers' Igor Shesterkin

Facing off against the New York Rangers, nothing less than a win would suffice. But apart from that, the Islanders will also have to hope for the Boston Bruins to beat the Penguins in regulation and the Tampa Bay Lightning to get the better of the Washington Capitals.

Last season, the team crashed out in the first round of the playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2. The franchise has yet to win a Stanley Cup since their dominance in the early 80s, when they won four in a row (1980–83).