The Montreal Canadiens hope to aid their push for home ice in the first round of the playoffs when they host the New York Islanders in Thursdays game at the Bell Centre. Viewers in the Habs region can watch the game on TSN starting at 7:30pm et/8:30pm at and listen to it on TSN Radio 690. Montreal will face Tampa Bay in the first round of the playoffs and currently holds a three-point lead over the Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division and home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series. However, Tampa Bay has three games left in the regular season compared to two for the Canadiens. The Habs are closing their regular-season slate with two straight on home ice and will host the New York Rangers in their 82nd game on Saturday. Montreal is 22-12-5 as the home team this season. The Canadiens lost for just the second time in nine outings on Wednesday, but they still picked up a point in a 3-2 overtime loss at Chicago. Peter Budaj misplayed a harmless Patrick Sharp shot into the game winner at 43 seconds of OT, giving the Blackhawks a come-from-behind victory at United Center. Marian Hossa tied the game inside the final minute with the extra attacker, then Sharp won it when his contested, rolling shot from between the circles trickled up Budajs stick. Instead of trapping it, the Habs netminder tried to shake it away, and instead whacked it into the net for Chicagos winning goal. "We were in a position to get two points, but I really liked the way we played," Montreal head coach Michel Therrien said. "On the last two goals, it was some bad coverage in front of the net. Im sure on the last goal, the winning goal, (Budaj) certainly would like to see that shot again, but those things happen." Dale Weise and Francis Bouillon scored for the Canadiens, while Budaj took the loss despite 25 stops. The Islanders are out of the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons after making an appearance last spring. The club has lost three straight and has been outscored by a combined 8-1 margin over the last two games. After losing 4-0 in Columbus on Sunday, New York was dealt a 4-1 setback by the visiting Ottawa Senators in Tuesdays season finale at Nassau Coliseum. Jason Spezza scored twice, including the go-ahead goal in the third period to lift the Senators to the win and drop New Yorks record this season on Long Island to 13-19-9. "We had some problems here at home," said Islanders coach Jack Capuano. "Thats something we have to straighten out if we want to make the playoffs." Next season marks New Yorks last campaign at the Coliseum, as the club is scheduled to move to Brooklyns Barclays Center at the start of 2015-16. Frans Nielsen scored for the Islanders, while Anders Nilsson made 28 saves in a losing effort. New York will play three games on the road to complete its schedule and is 18-18-2 as the visiting team. After tonights tilt at the Bell Centre, the Isles will visit New Jersey on Friday before ending the campaign Sunday in Buffalo. Montreal has won three straight against the Islanders overall, but New York has claimed three of the past five meetings in Quebec. Boston Bruins at Winnipeg Jets The Boston Bruins will try to move closer to just the second Presidents Trophy in franchise history on Thursday night as they take on the Winnipeg Jets. Viewers in the Jets region can watch the game on TSN starting at 6:30pm ct/7:30pm et and listen to it on TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg. The Bruins lead the NHL with 114 points, two ahead of the idle Anaheim Ducks with a game in hand. Boston has already locked up the top seed in the Eastern Conference and has not finished a season as the top points earner since 1989-90, when it lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals. With nothing to play for down the stretch, the Bruins have lost three of their last four games, but they are 1-1-2 in that stretch and have earned a point in 19 of their previous 20 games (16-1-3). Boston is coming off Tuesdays 4-3 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild, yielding the game-tying goal with 1:05 left in regulation before getting shut out in the tiebreaker. Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith and Patrice Bergeron lit the lamp for the Bruins, while Tuukka Rask made 21 saves. "I felt we were a little sloppy tonight. We werent very sharp in our passing and our playmaking," Bruins head coach Claude Julien said. Both forward Jarome Iginla and defenseman Kevan Miller missed a second straight game, while David Krejci, who leads the NHL with a plus-39 rating, was scratched from the game for rest. Both Iginla and Miller practiced on Wednesday and could be game-time decisions. The Bruins will host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday before ending the regular season at the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. Rask figures to get some rest over that time, but could start tonight and is 8-4-0 lifetime versus the Jets with a 1.98 goals against average and two shutouts. Winnipeg comes in having lost four of its last six games and will miss the playoffs for a seventh straight season. The Jets are also banged up as both Andrew Ladd (undisclosed) and Dustin Byfuglien (upper body) will miss the clubs final two games of the regular season, while goaltender Al Montoya and defensemen Zach Bogosian and Keaton Ellerby are questionable due to injury. Though Winnipeg lost a 1-0 decision to Minnesota on Monday, it marked a solid NHL debut for Michael Hutchinson as he posted 16 saves. The 24-year-old Hutchinson, a third-round pick by Boston in 2008, began the season in the ECHL before putting up solid numbers with the St. Johns IceCaps of the AHL. "Everyone hopes to play a game in the NHL every season but realistically I didnt think itd be possible," admitted Hutchinson. "Im very fortunate to have been in some good situations and I was able to play well this year and I was just happy to get a shot." Winnipeg ends its regular season on Friday at the Calgary Flames and Hutchinson may get another start tonight. The Jets have lost three of four and six of their last nine versus the Bruins, including a 4-1 setback in Boston on Jan. 4. Torey Krug scored twice and had an assist for Boston, while Rask posted 36 saves. Byfuglien had the lone Winnipeg goal and Ondrej Pavelec made 25 saves in defeat. The Bruins have lost five of their last six road meetings with the Winnipeg/Atlanta franchise. Dick McGuire Jersey .com) - Mike Miller scored a season-high 21 points in a rare start and the Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back from their worst loss of the season with a 95-91 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Louis King Jersey . 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"I dont believe she has an injury," Hobart tournament director Mark Handley said.Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Love scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in his first game against his former team, as the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 125-104, at Quicken Loans Arena. The win may have been costly for the Cavaliers, who lost center Anderson Varejao to a left foot and ankle injury in the third quarter. Love also exited the contest earlier in the third due to a thumb injury, but returned later in the period. It scared me initially. I had jammed it pretty bad during the Brooklyn game and in practice put it in tape the next day, so I was fortunate that I was able to, I guess, get shots up and some practice time with the tape on, Love said. We came back here and it seems to be just a mild, little thing. I shook it off and went back in there and played. Kyrie Irving scored 29 and LeBron James totaled 24 points for the Cavaliers, who have won three in a row and 12 of their last 15 games. That includes nine wins in their last 10 at home. Love, who played his first six NBA seasons for the Timberwolves, was dealt to Cleveland as part of a 3-team deal in the offseason. Minnesota acquired Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, the last two No. 1 overall picks in the draft. Wiggins scored 27 and Gorgui Dieng had a season-best 20 to go with 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have lost six in a row and 12 of their last 13 games to fall to 5-22 on the season. Before the game even started when we were in the locker room, it was just a different atmosphere, Wiggins said. Emotions were a lot higher than they usually are. I think its obvious this is a motivation game for me. Bennett missed all four of his shots from the field and was held without a point. Irving scored 11 points during the pivotal third quarter when the Cavs stretched the lead with a late surge. Thaddeus Young made 1-of-2 free throws to get the visitors within 80-78, but the Cavs responded with a 16-1 run to end the period. James nailed a pull-up 30-foot shot from the top of the arc during the flurry, which was capped by five straight points from Dion Waiters. We got stops, were more physical. When we get stops, were very good offensively.dddddddddddd We get rebounds, it allowed us to open up, James said. Cleveland, which scored the initial three points of the fourth, led by double digits throughout the final quarter. We struggled playing from behind because we have a lot of young guys that arent used to doing that, Minnesota coach Flip Saunders said. So they have a tendency to get a little bit too anxious, and then we take one or two bad shots and that leads to fast break opportunities. Thats what makes it difficult. The Cavaliers wrapped up a five-game homestand and will play Miami Christmas Day in James first contest against the Heat since leaving them via free agency in the offseason. He won two titles in four finals appearances with Miami. To say I havent thought about going back, Id be lying to you guys, James told reporters after the game. Its going to be great to be back in that building around those unbelievable fans. The memories will definitely come back, being a part of the organization for the four years I was there. When it gets down to it, Im excited about it. Im going to relive a lot of the moments in my head and go from there. Wiggins got off to a hot start with 11 first-quarter points, but Minnesota trailed, 27-26, after 12 minutes. Cleveland led by as many as nine in the second before settling for a 64-56 advantage at the half. The Cavs did not trail in the final two quarters. In a sequence that typified the night for the teams going in opposite directions, Love got the rebound off an Irving missed bank shot and fumbled the ball before managing to get it up and in while being fouled by Bennett. Love completed the 3-point play with 5:13 left in the game for a 114-93 lead. Varejao collapsed under the basket and then had to be helped off the court. He was unable to put any weight on the leg. The injury occurred with 7:24 left in the third quarter. Game Notes The T-wolves are 1-21 when allowing 100 or more points ... Shabazz Muhammad had 18 points and Young 13 for the Timberwolves, while Waiters scored 19 ... The Cavs were 12-of-24 from 3-point range. ' ' '