Islanders’ Mikko Koskinen makes a diving save on Canadiens’ James Wisniewski Thursday night at the Bell Centre.   Shaun Best, Reuters

Preview | Matchups | Thursday’s

NHL schedule | Boone’s
Game
Blog, Quick

Hits and About last night …
| Stubbs on Twitter | Hickey’s game story

AUDIO: | Brian Gionta | Ryan White | Alex Auld | James Wisniewski | Jacques Martin

• At a Glance: After an all-out battle on Wednesday night in Boston, the Canadiens had a much tamer night on Thursday when the New York Islanders came to town in a 4-3 shootout loss. Kyle Okposo scored the winning goal for the Islanders after they erased three one-goal deficits during the game. Max Pacioretty, who scored two goals on Wednesday night’s 8-6 loss to the Boston Bruins, opened the scoring 14:10 into the first period. He took a pass from David Desharnais and fired a one-timer past rookie goaltender Mikko Koskinen. But John Tavares got that one back 2:25 later when he flipped a shot over Alex Auld’s shoulder. In the second period, Benoit Pouliot made it 2-1 Montreal with 5:49 played. But the Islanders never let up and Michael Grabner tied it 2-2 with a little under three minutes to play. Tomas Plekanec restored Montreal’s lead at 18:08 on a 2-on-1 break. He made Koskinen believe he was going to pass to Andrei Kostitdyn but then fired a shot between the goaltender’s legs. Grabner scored his second of the game 4:08 into the third period to tie the game 3-3, taking advantage of some confusion in the Canadiens zone. Koskinen made 37 saves for his first NHL victory in his second career game.

• What It Means: Montreal has now lost three straight and falls to 30-20-6 and move up to 66 points with a point for the shootout loss, four ahead of the New York Rangers for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

• What’s Next: The Canadiens are home to the Maple Leafs on Saturday and the Buffalo Sabres next Tuesday before hitting the road for three games in Western Canada that includes the Heritage Classic in Calgary on Feb. 20.

• AUDIO: Jacques Martin English and French | Roman Hamrlik | Tom Pyatt

The Canadiens will start goaltender Alex Auld vs. the New York Islanders’ Mikko Koskinen tonight at the Bell Centre, 24 hours after the Habs’ rumble in Boston vs. the Bruins.

It was the Bruins game that dominated pregame conversation following the Habs’ optional morning skate today. Auld, Scott Gomez, David Desharnais, Lars Eller and Alexandre Picard skated briefly.

Tom Pyatt was sporting a decent shiner below his right eye and seven stitches high on his right cheek, having been struck repeatedly by the elbow pad of Bruins’ Gregory Campbell in the final minute of the game. “Pretty much old-time hockey,” Pyatt said of the battles.

Ryan White was called up this morning and is available for tonight’s game. Head coach Jacques Martin said that only the pregame warmup will determine his lineup, several players he wouldn’t identify nursing injuries.

Martin said last night’s slugfest was an extension of the rivalry between the two clubs. Lots of comment from Martin in English and French in the audio clips linked above.

White, 22, 6-feet and 198 pounds, has played three games for the Canadiens this season, those during his first callup in late January. He had a shot and five penalty minutes and was plus-1. He has three goals and nine assists in 33 games with the Bulldogs, one goal on the power play, and 77 penalty minutes.

—

Only the sound of a coffee percolator in the media work room and the smell of disinfectant outside the Canadiens dressing room (no comment) at ice level at the Bell Centre, 45 minutes before a few Habs are expected to skate in advance of tonight’s game against the New York Islanders.

The Canadiens should have a few players available following an 11:15 team meeting. The Islanders, who sat in Montreal last night watching the fiasco that was the Montreal-Bruins game in Boston, are expected to skate at 11:30.

Audio, maybe some video and updates here later. Live bits and pieces from Stubbs on Twitter here.

A portion of the crowd of 3,136 at the Nassau Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum, a hardy group given the monstrous snowstorm that swept Long Island on Sunday night.
Bruce Bennett, Getty Images

Preview | Matchups | Sunday’s NHL schedule | Boone’s Game
Blog, Quick Hits  and About
last night …
| Stubbs on Twitter | Hickey’s game story

• AUDIO: Jacques Martin | Michael Cammalleri | Max Pacioretty | Hal Gill | Maxim Lapierre

• At a Glance: Could be the Canadiens played in snowshoes instead of skates? The Habs resumed their holiday-spanning, seven-game road trip Sunday on blizzard-pounded Long Island with a 4-1 loss to the lowly New York Islanders. Playing before a hardy crowd of 3,136, who’ll still be shovelling out their cars at dawn, Montreal surrendered first- and second-period goals to the home team and couldn’t solve goalie Dwayne Roloson until the game was well decide. The Canadiens enjoyed a 39-25 edge in shots on goal.

• The Scoring: Blake Comeau hit the scoresheet first on a partial breakaway midway through the first period, defenceman Alexandre Picard caught pinching deep in the New York zone and blue-line partner Yannick Weber outlegged in the race. Then Michael Graber pounced on a Picard giveaway late in the second to race in alone and beat Habs goalie Carey Price to make it 2-0. (It could have been 3-0, but what appeared to be an Islanders goal earlier in the second on sloppy Price clearing was disallowed; replays seemed to show the puck across the goal line before it was scooped away by defenceman Josh Gorges.) The Isles increased their lead to three when P.A. Parenteau scored during a five-minute power play early in the third, Max Pacioretty having been given a major (and game misconduct) for boarding. Then it was 4-0 when James Wiesniewski beat Price 2:20 later on a 5-on-3 advantage, Scott Gomez off for tripping during Pacioretty’s major. Habs’ Tomas Plekanec ended Roloson’s shutout bid with 12:09 to play.

• Key Moment: The Canadiens dominated the second period and had numerous chances to tie the game, outshooting their hosts 16-7, but Grabner’s late goal would serve to break the Habs.

• What It Means: The Canadiens lost their sixth game in their past eight, having been outscored 29-18 during that span. They’re 1-3 to start this road trip, their longest of the season.

• What’s Next: The Habs had planned to fly out of New York postgame, but they changed that idea early in the day. The team was to overnight near the Uniondale arena before practising Monday morning there, then chartering to Washington later in the day – weather permitting – for Tuesday’s game against the Capitals. Games Thursday and Friday in Florida will end the trip and the 2010 calendar year; Montreal is back home Sunday afternoon against the Atlanta Thrashers.

Canadiens’ Lars Eller looks for a deflection in front of
Islanders goalie Dwayne Roloson Friday night. Shannon
Stapleton, Reuters

Preview | Matchups | Friday’s NHL schedule | Boone’s
Game Blog and About last night … | Stubbs

on Twitter | Hickey’s game story

AUDIO: Alex Auld | Brian Gionta | Jeff Halpern | P.K. Subban | Benoit Pouliot

• At a Glance: Different goalie, same result for the Canadiens. With Carey Price getting the night off, Alex Auld picked up the slack in his first start of the season, making 30 saves in a 3-1 win over the New York Islanders. It was Montreal’s second win in 48 hours over the Islander, 5-3 losers in Montreal on Wednesday night. Tomas Plekanec scored his fifth goal of the season during a power play 2:42 into the first period. It stayed that way until late in the second period when Matt Martin scored his first of the season to tie the game 1-1. Benoit Pouliot made it 2-1 Montreal 7:19 into the third period when a pass from Jeff Halpern found Pouliot open in the slot. He promptly fired a bullet over Dwayne Roloson’s shoulder and into the top corner. Travis Moen scored his second goal in as many games to seal the win when he deflected a shot from Brian Gionta with 1:49 to play.

• Key Moments: The Canadiens were able to keep the Islanders off the scoresheet with a man advantage, blanking them on five chances, including a 5-on-3 opportunity.

• What It Means:  Montreal has now won four straight games and improves to 7-2-1 for 15 points out of a possible 20 at this point of the season. That leaves the Canadiens alone in first place in the Eastern conference.

• What’s Next: The Canadiens are right back in action Saturday night with a visit to Montreal by the Florida Panthers that will mark the return of defenceman Andrei Markov. Montreal then travels to Columbus for a game next Tuesday and Buffalo on Friday to face the Sabres before coming home to play the Senators on Nov. 6.

• AUDIO: Jacques Martin | Josh Gorges, on Donald Fehr | Scott Gordon (begins speaking about Bruno Gervais) | John Tavares | Bruno Gervais

From Pat Hickey in Long Island:

Travis Moen will start tonight’s game against the New York Islanders on a line with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta.

Goaltender Alex Auld makes his first start of the season for the 6-2-1 Canadiens.

Also making his first start of the season is Islanders defenceman Bruno Gervais. The only twist is that Gervais will be used as a forward on a line with Zenon Konopka and Jon Sim.

Dwayne Roloson gets the start in goal for the Islanders for the second straight game against Montreal, having made 33 saves in the Isles’ 5-3 loss to the Canadiens Wednesday at the Bell Centre.

There was thought that Rick DiPietro would get coach Scott Gordon’s call to play nets. DiPietro had planned to wear pink pads and gloves into action as a tribute to an aunt he lost to breast cancer, tonight being the Islanders Against Cancer night as part of the league-wide, month-long awareness campaign. The Canadiens’ event is tomorrow at home against Florida.

Islanders’ Dwayne Roloson stops an attempt by Canadiens captain Brian Gionta Wednesday night. Dario Ayala, The Gazette  

Preview | Matchups | Wednesday’s NHL schedule | Boone’s
Game Blog and About last night … | Stubbs
on Twitter | Hickey’s game story

AUDIO: Carey Price | Travis Moen | P.K. Subban 

• At a Glance: Not only is Carey Price getting the job done in front of the net, he contribute to the offence on Wednesday night as the Canadiens defeated the New York Islanders 5-3 at the Bell Centre. Price earned an assist on Jeff Halpern’s third-period goal 6:56 into the period to give the Canadiens a 4-2 lead. The goal came at a good time because John Tavaeres scored only 13 seconds into the third period to narrow Montreal’s lead to only one goal. Mathieu Darche opened the scoring 13:19 into the game when he deflected a Halpern shot from the point. Travis Moen made it 2-0 a few minutes later with his first goal of the year, a shorthanded tap-in behind Dwayne Roloson after a perfect pass from Tomas Plekanec. James Wisniewski narrowed the Montreal leader in the final minute of the period with a power-play goal. Plekanec made it 3-1 Montreal in the second period, with a wicked slap shot over Roloson’s shoulder for his fourth goal of the season. Doug Weight made it 4-3 Montreal with seven minutes to play when he deflected a Wisniewski shot from the blue line, his third point of the night. Andrei Kostitsyn sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute. Price made 18 saves for his sixth win of the season, while Roloson faced 35 shots on the night.

•Key Moments: Kostitsyn’s goal ended the drama after the Islanders had been pressing for the tying goal in the final two minutes and timely goals by the supporting cast helped the Canadiens win.

• What It Means: Montreal improves to 6-2-1 after nine games, good for 13 points. The Canadiens have now won five of their last six games are are tied for first place in the Eastern Conference with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

• What’s Next: The Canadiens and Islanders play again on Friday in Long Island, with Montreal flying home right after that game to play the Panthers on Saturday night.

Canadiens’ Maxim Lapierre is pushed off the puck by Islanders’ Jack Hillen Tuesday night. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Preview | Matchups | Tuesday’s NHL schedule | Boone’s Game Blog and About last night … | Stubbs on Twitter | Hickey’s game story

AUDIO: Brian Gionta | Tomas Plekanec | Ryan O’Byrne | Josh Gorges | Jacques Martin

• At a Glance: The Canadiens came out flat against the New York Islanders, trailing 1-0 after 20 minutes and being badly outshot and outplayed, eventually losing 4-3 in a shootout. The Canadiens woke up in the second period with goals by Tomas Plekanec, his 25th, and Brian Gionta, who tied Michael Cammalleri for the team lead with 26 goals. Blake Comeau scored the game’s first goal and Sean Bergenheim tied the game 2-2 only two minutes into the third period and the Islanders were buzzing the net after that, with the Canadiens on their heels a little. But Maxim Lapierre scored a pretty goal four minutes later as he fought off two defenders and went in alone on Martin Biron, beating him with a nice backhand to the roof of the net. But the Isles did not roll over with Frans Nielsen tying the game 3-3 with 2:01 to play. Halak allowed two goals in the shootout, while the Canadiens could not beat Biron. Halak faced 42 shots in 65 minutes of play, making 39 saves, but he was beaten handily in the shootout.

• Key Moments: Halak was left alone in the first period as the Islanders took 15 shots on net, with Halak stopping all but one, while his teammates could muster only five shots on Martin Biron. Halak also made an incredible save on John Tavares in the third period shortly after the Islanders had made it 2-2.

• What It Means: The Canadiens miss a chance to clinch a playoff spot and drop to 39-32-9 for 87 points. The Flyers’ win in Toronto prevents Montreal from clinching.

• What’s Next: Two games remain the regular season, with a visit to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday and a home date against the Toronto Maple Leafs to finish the season.

Canadiens’ Andrei Markov celebrates scoring his first goal of the season against Islanders’ Martin Biron Saturday night. Al
Bello,Getty Images

Gazette preview | Matchups | Saturday’s NHL schedule | Boone’s Game Blog and About last night … | Stubbs on Twitter | Pat Hickey’s game story

• At a Glance:  Andrei Markov wasted little time making his presence felt Saturday night as he returned to the Canadiens after missing 35 games with an injury, scoring two goals as Montreal defeated the Islanders 3-0. All three of the Canadiens goals were scored on the power play, while Montreal was perfect in killing off five shorthanded situations. Markov knocked in a loose puck in the Martin Biron’s crease 7:44 into the first period as he snuck down from the point as he often does. In the second period, Markov used his other weapon when his blistering shot went off Biron’s shoulder and into the net. In the third, Scott Gomez served up a perfect pass to Glen Metropolit at the side of the net for an easy tap in for Metropolit’s eighth goal of the season. Jaroslav Halak was outstanding in nets for the Canadiens, stopping all 40 shots he faced. It’s Halak’s fifth career shutout and his first of the season.

• Key Moments: Several times in the game, Halak made spectacular saves on point-blank shots from the slot to preserve the win.

• What It Means: With the win, the Canadiens snapped a five-game losing streak and improved to 16-18-3 on the season for 35 points. Montreal is a perfect 3-0 against the Islanders this season and has limited New York to three goals.

• What’s Next: If the Canadiens can make it out of the New York area after the massive storm hitting the area, they will take on the Atlanta Thrashers on Monday and then travel to Carolina on Wednesday before a short Christmas break.

Today in Washington, with as much as 60 cm to pound the city. This is why it’s called the White House.
Yuri Gripas, Reuters

“Is there bad weather coming?” The Gazette’s Canadiens beat writer and resident meteorologist Pat Hickey repeats the question put to him over the phone then roars in laughter.

There’s no change in the schedule for tonight’s Canadiens-New York Islanders game on Long Island – yet – but stay tuned as a monster storm working its way up the Eastern seaboard is about to pound the area with as much as 45 cm of snow driven by heavy winds. That’s almost 18 inches, on the Imperial scale that some of us learned in school.

The storm is expected to hit around midday ET and it’s going to be a mess. The Canadiens have made contingency plans to stay overnight if they can’t get out to Atlanta immediately after the game, as planned. And that’s a distinct possibility, given that the Habs charter is due to fly out of a small, private airfield in Farmingdale, L.I.

Jaroslav Halak will start in goal for Montreal, and defenceman Andrei Markov will return after missing 36 games with lacerated tendons in his left foot. Marc-André Bergeron is to move up onto the fourth line.

About a dozen players skated this morning, including forward Brian Gionta, who wore special foot protection to take part in his first workout with teammates since suffering a broken bone in early November. But he won’t play tonight. Nor will defenceman Roman Hamrlik, who didn’t skate and remains out with a lower-body injury. Coach Jacques Martin didn’t even go to Nassau Coliseum for the session.

New
York IIslanders left-winger Jon Sim is hit into the glass divider by Canadiens defenseman Hal Gill Monday night. Pierre
Obendrauf, The Gazette

Gazette Preview | Today’s NHL Schedule | Matchups | Mike Boone’s Game Blog and About last night … | Pat Hickey’s game story

AUDIO: Jacques Martin | Roman Hamrlik I and II | Tomas Plekanec | Travis Moen | Mike Cammalleri | Jaro Halak

• At a Glance: The Canadiens wrapped up their six-game homestand on Monday night with a 3-2 overtime win against the New York Islanders, who were in town for the second time in five days. Roman Hamrlik gave the Canadiens their fourth straight win when he converted a nice pass from Tomas Plekanec to beat Martin Biron 1:31 into OT. Jaroslav Spacek scored his first goal with the Canadiens to open the scoring after a nice pass by Glen Metropolit, who was questionable for the game with the flu-like symptoms. Metropolit also got an assist on Travis Moen’s third goal of the season to give the Canadiens a 2-1 lead 7:44 into the third period. Jeff Tambelini scored both goals for the Islanders, beating Jaroslav Halak with a nice move on the first goal near the end of the second period. Halak and Biron eached faced 31 shots, with Halak being just one stop better.

• Key Moments: The Canadiens gave the Islanders seven power plays, including two on penalties for too many men on the ice, and New York made the Cabadiens pay with a pair of goals with the man advantage, both my Jeff Tambelini. The Canadiens were 0-for-2 on the power play.

• What It Means: After a five-game losing streak that saw their record drop to 2-5, the Canadiens are back above the .500 mark at 6-5, but they have been giving their opponents points by being forced to win games in overtime or shootouts.

• What’s Next: The Canadiens hit the road for two games this week. They are in Pittsburgh on Wednesday and Chicago on Friday before returning home to play the Maple Leafs on Oct. 31.

Canadiens’ Max Pacioretty scores against Islanders goalie
Martin Biron as teammate Radek Martinek looks on Thursday night. Phil
Carpenter, The Gazette

Gazette Preview | Today’s NHL Schedule | Matchups | Mike Boone’s Game Blog and About last night … | Pat Hickey’s Game story

PRE-GAME AUDIO: John Tavares | Matt Moulson

POSTGAME AUDIO: Jacques Martin | Mike Cammalleri | Glen Metropolit | Jaro Halak

• At a Glance: For the first time this season, there was little drama for the Canadiens as they defeated the New York Islanders 5-1 Thursday night, a score that is flattering to the Islanders thanks to Martin Biron, who kept the score closer than it could have been. The Canadiens outshot the Isles 43-22, and Jaroslav Halak would love to have a mulligan on the one that got past him. During a Canadiens power-play early in the third period, Halak mishandled the puck behind his net and Josh Bailey took advantage by slipping the puck into a wide open net. Scott Gomez, who played another solid game, opened the scoring, with Marc-André Bergeron, Max Pacioretty, Mike Cammalleri and Maxim Lapierre also scoring for the Canadiens. Bergeron and Cammalleri scored with the man advantage. Glen Metropolit returned to the lineup after missing the last six games, and recorded a pair of assists.

• Key Moments: Bergeron scored his first goal with the Canadiens and he received a nice cheer from the Bell Centre crowd. It was a power-play goal, a rare one for the Canadiens this season, and gave the Habs a 2-0 lead before the end of the first period.

• What It Means: After losing five straight, the Canadiens have now won two straight at home and improved their record to 4-5, winning in regulation for the first time this season.

• What’s Next: New York’s other team, the Rangers, visit the Bell Centre on Saturday night for the fifth game of this six-game homestand before the Islanders return next Monday.

Martin Biron will start in goal for the Islanders, while Doug Weight, who is battling the flu, won’t suit up for New York.

Preview | Rosters | Tale of the Tape | Play-by-Play | Faceoffs | Game Summary | Event Summary | Boone

PRE-GAME AUDIO:  Bob Gainey  Christopher Higgins  Mike Komisarek  Mark Streit

• Postgame Audio:  Bob Gainey  Jaro Halak  Mike Komisarek  Alex Kovalev

• At A Glance: With goaltender Carey Price suffering from the flu and forced to miss the game, Jaorslav Halak picked up where his teammate left off with a solid performance between the pipes as the Canadiens defeated the New York Islanders 5-1 in a game Montreal could not afford to lose. After a slow start, the Canadiens got four straight goals before the Islanders got on the board. Saku Koivu, Mathieu Schneider, Alex Tanguay, Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek beat former Hab Yann Danis. Jeff Tambelini was the only Islander to get one by Halak as the Canadiens won their second straight game and fourth out of their last five.

• Key Moment: Two quick goals in the second period – by Alex Tanguay and Andrei Markov – gave the Canadiens a 4-0 lead and they never looked back in a dominant win.

• What It Means: The Canadiens win, combined with a loss for the New York Rangers, allowed the Canadiens to jump into seventh spot in the Eastern Conference with 90 points, one more than New York and three more than the idle Florida Panthers, who sit in ninth spot. The Carolina Hurricanes moved into fourth spot with 93 points, while the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins sit fifth and sixth, respectively, with 92 points.

• Who’s Next: The Canadiens head to Toronto for the next game on Saturday before returning to the Bell Centre to welcome the Ottawa Senators on Monday.

Sergei Kostitsyn after having been run over by Chicago’s Aaron Johnson.
John Mahoney, Gazette

The Gazette’s Herb Zurkowsky reports, without bitterness, that the media outnumbered the players on the ice at this afternoon’s optional practice in Brossard before the team was to board a flight for Long Island and tomorrow night’s game vs. the Islanders.

Sergei Kostitsyn, who left Tuesday’s game in the first period after being splattered into the end boards by Chicago’s Aaron Johnson, will not make the trip. Upper-body injury, the report remains. Defenceman Roman Hamrlik, who left the game in the second after a weird collision along the Blackhawks bench, will travel to Long Island.

The hardy few on Brossard ice: Matt D’Agostini, Ryan O’Byrne, Gregory Stewart, Georges Laraque and Jaroslav Halak.

•  •  •

Et le but!

Credit Christopher Higgins with the Canadiens’ fourth goal against Chicago. Higgins tipped the point drive of Mathieu Schneider during a Canadiens power play.

•  •  •

Mark Streit has a wonky groin and is a Maybe on the Island tomorrow. 

Canadiens defenceman Mike Komisarek brings down Islanders’ Andy Hilbert Thursday night at the Bell Centre. THE GAZETTE/ Pierre Obendrauf

Preview | Rosters | Tale of the Tape | Play-by-Play | Faceoffs | Game Summary | Event Summary | Boone

AUDIO:  Bob Gainey  Saku Koivu  Carey Price  Tom Kostopoulos

Carey Price is back, now only if the rest of his teammates would follow his lead. The Canadiens goaltender started his fifth straight game on Thursday night and made many  spectacular saves to help the Canadiens steal at least a point.

Price was bombared with 29 shots during the final 40 minutes of regulation play and is the main reason the Canadiens earned at least a point in the overtime loss. Once again, the Canadiens were outshot 38-26, with Price making 35 saves overall.

But Price would probably like another shot at the overtime winner. Kyle Okposo scored when he slid his own rebound between Price’s legs only 24 seconds into the overtime period for a 3-2 Islanders win.

The only good news is that the Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins all lost, allowing the Canadiens to  maintai their hold on fifth place in the east with 80 points. The Penguins, who lost in overtime to the Blue Jackets, sit sixth with 79 points.

The worst team in the Eastern Conference came into the Bell Centre Thursday night and made the Canadiens pay dearly for their poor play, expecially in the second period – again.

And it was two former Canadiens who played an integral role in the New York victory.
Former Canadiens utility man Mark Streit assisted on the game-winning goal early in the third period during an Islanders power play when Frans Nielsen deflected Streit’s point shot beyond Carey Price. Streit also assisted on the first New York goal.

At the other end of the ice, former Habs farm hand Yann Danis stopped 24 of 26 shots, and he stood tall during a two-minute 5-on-3 power play for the Canadiens and it looked as if that would be it for the Canadiens, who were playing a listless game until that point.

Tomas Plekanec was able to beat Danis in the first period when his shot from the faceoff circle went off the stick of Islanders defender and eluded the Quebec goaltender. The goal, Plekanec’s 19th of the season, was scored on the power play.

The Islanders tied the game 11:33 into the first period when Mike Iggulden scored his first career NHL goal after he gathered a Blake Comeau pass and caught Price out of position for an easy empty-net goal.

They then took the lead when Nielsen scored only 51 seconds into the third period for a 2-1 advantage.

And for a while, it looked like that might be enough, especially after the Canadiens came up empty on the two-minute 5-on-3 power play, one in which Streit made a few good plays to help keep the puck out of his team’s net.

But about 40 seconds after the penalties ended, Tom Kostopoulos took a perfect pass from Andrei Markov on a 2-on-1 rush and slapped a one-timer passed Danis to tie the game 2-2.

Next up for the Canadiens is the New Jersey Devils and Martin Brodeur, who could tie Patrick Roy’s NHL career win mark in his home town on Saturday night.

Canadiens’ Alex Tanguay can’t get a handle on a loose puck behind Islanders goaltender Joey MacDonald
during first period at the Bell Centre Monday. THE GAZETTE/Dave Sidaway

Updated by Kevin Mio

Preview | Rosters | Tale of the Tape | Play-by-Play | Faceoffs | Boxscore | Game Summary | Event Summary | Game Story | Boone

The Canadiens have gone to overtime eight times this season, and all eight games have been decided in a shootout. That was the case again Monday night as the Canadiens lost 4-3 to the New York Islanders at the Bell Centre.

Richard Park and Bill Guerin scored in the shootout, while Andrei Kostitsyn and Alex Tanguay couldn’t beat Joey MacDonald in the Islanders net.

But this one should never have gone to overtime in the first place.
As if Ryan O’Byrne wasn’t having a hard enough time this season, things got a little bit worse on Monday night when the defenceman scored in his own net on a delayed penalty call at 15:13 of the third period.

Canadiens goalie Carey Price had left the net with a penalty being called against the New York Islanders and O’Byrne tried to put the puck behind his net, but instead directed it at the empty Canadiens net to tie the game 3-3.

The Islanders got on the board first when Park scored on an Islanders’ power play 6:54 in the period. But that lead did not last long as Steve Bégin scored 17 seconds later on a deflection.

Josh Gorges scored a power-play goal midway through the first period to give Montreal a 2-1 lead. It was Gorges first goal in his 89th regular-season game with the Canadiens.

Montreal increased that lead when Maxim Lapierre scored 4:29 into the second on a nice pass from Christopher Higgins.

But the Islanders narrowed the gap when Trent Hunter scored on a power play 8:05 into the second period.

Carey Price stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced, with O’Byrne’s own goal counting as the 24th Islanders shot. MacDonald stopped 23 of 26 shots.

The Islanders were 2-for-5 with the man advantage, while the Canadiens could only score once in seven chance.

Canadiens’ Alex Kovalev celebrates his second goal of the game, the game-winner in the third period, with teammates Tomas Plekanec (left) and Mike Komisarek.
Shannon Stapleton, Reuters

Audio: Higgins   Plekanec   Kovalev

Play-by-play | Faceoffs | Game Summary | Event Summary | Lineup | Game Story | Boone | 

Here’s a thought: the Canadiens set their clocks back an hour before tonight’s game, instead of after, and were an hour late showing up to play the New York Islanders.

Outskated, outshot, outplayed, outeverythinged for 40 minutes, the Habs stirred from their slumber in the third period.

And then some, roaring back from a 4-1 deficit to score four unanswered goals and earn a wild, highly improbable 5-4 victory on Long Island.

• Boone: About last night …

Two third-period goals by Tomas Plekanec, his second and third of the season, the first of the year from Christopher Higgins, and the second of the game by Alex Kovalev completed the stunning comeback.

Kovalev had two goals and two assists and showed the efforts of his work with a bloodied cheek, taking an unintentional high stick from former teammate Mark Streit. Plekanec also had a pair of assists.

Canadiens goalie Carey Price, baffled by two Habs-deflected shots earlier, made three superb last-minute saves to preserve the win.

Montreal outshot their hosts 16-4 in the third period, 32-21 on the game.

To his credit, head coach Guy Carbonneau wasn’t gloating in his post-game comments, pleased that his club had the character to come back but far, far from pleased with the effort over the first two periods.

The first question will be answered, to some degree, tomorrow night in Buffalo, where the Canadiens begin a home-and-home.

Prospects are good, if they play as well as they did on the Island. It was a very solid team effort, keyed by excellent work from the defencemen. I thoght Roman Hamrlik and Patrice Brisebois were exceptional.

Cristobal Huet faced 44 shots – a season high – but his night kind of duplicated Martin Gerber’s at the Bell Centre. The Islanders were kept to the perimeter for the most part, while the Canadiens did to the Islanders what Ottawa had done to them – cash scoring opportunities.

Canadiens are 7-3-1 on the road, best in the Eastern Conference. The guys on 110% last night said the team plays with greater focus away from the Bell Centre because there are fewer distractions than in Montreal.

There was also some talk about whether the Canadiens need an enforcer. The 110 crew thought that hits like Mike Sillinger’s on the captain and that dirty, late-game shot Mike Richards gave Alex Kovalev will multiply in February and March if other teams perceive that Canadiens lack toughness.

Chris Simon had tried to goad Mike Komisarek into a fight, which would have been a very bad trade-off for the Canadiens.

I’m still with Guy Carbonneau on this. The coach is adamant he doesn’t want some goon who plays two minutes a game. Carbo likes to roll four lines, and I think that will pay off in stamina down the stretch.

It would be great to have a Chris Neil. But players like that are rare in the league.

• Great night for the Bryan Smolinski line. Steve Bégin scored twice. Mathieu Dandenault played as good a forechecking game as we’ve seen this season, and Smolinski bounced back after a few indifferent outings that can be a cause for concern with a player his age.

• What a joy to see Christopher Higgins score a honey of a goal in his hometown. Higgins provided tickets for 66 family members and friends.

• Coming back with Carey Price tomorrow is a bit counter-intuitive after Cristobal Huet stopped 43 of 44. But by laying out his goaltending plans – Price in Buffalo, Huet at the Bell Centre Saturday night – Guy Carbonneau pre-empts the kind of media and fan speculation that leads to a "goaltending controversy."

• We don’t see much of Nick Lidstrom, but there isn’t a better offensive defenceman in the Eastern Conference than Andrei Markov. The skating, the tape-to-tape passing … Marky Mark is somethin’ else.

• What’s with Mark Streit? There are times when he seems nervous, tentaive with the puck. It’s worrisome.

• Here today, goon tomorrow: On 110%, Michel Bergeron pointed out that Jacques Lemaire, arguably the best coach in the NHL, has ALWAYS had a fighter … and sometimes two of ‘em. I think Carbo is more highly evolved. 

But he stopped 43 of them, and by the time Mike Comrie spoiled the shutout bid, this W was in the bag.

Canadiens got two goals from Steve Bégin and singles from Christopher Higgins and Tomas Plekanec to rack up an impressive road win against a tough defensive team that’s been hot lately … and a goaltender who’s one of the best in the league. 

Third period shots were 20-4 in favour of the Islanders. That sounds like domination, but Canadiens were shorthanded three times during the period, and they took their feet off the gas pedal with a 4-0 lead. 

Three Canadiens goals were scored at even strength. And nine players – including Huet – got their names on the scoresheet. 

Most impressive stat: 327 Comments.