Islanders top Canadiens in overtime for crucial victory in playoff push
Bo Horvat of the Islanders celebrates his overtime goal against the Montreal Canadiens with teammate Noah Dobson at UBS Arena on Thursday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The requisite playoff intensity abounded for the Islanders in a game so crucial to their postseason hopes. They could never match the Canadiens’ speed, and that often left them scrambling. But the plucky Islanders were harder along the walls and solid in their breakouts in what some of their players acknowledged was their biggest game of the season to this point.
Plus their special teams, which become even more crucial in the playoffs, made a difference as the power play was 2-for-3 and the penalty kill went 4-for-5.
It added up to a 4-3 overtime win on Thursday night at UBS Arena on Bo Horvat’s second goal off a two-on-one rush at 3:27 of the extra period. The Islanders pulled within two points of the Canadiens for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot — with no teams in between them — despite blowing a two-goal lead in the third period.
“It feels good winning a big game for us and a good two points,” said Ilya Sorokin, who made 38 saves in a game-changing performance and added two secondary assists, including on Horvat’s winner. “It’s a really fast team. They create a lot of dangerous shots.”
The Islanders (32-28-8) leapfrogged the sinking Rangers in the standings and, while even with them with 72 points, have played two fewer games. They are on a 3-0-1 run overall and are 10-2-1 at home since Jan. 18.
“Our neutral zone is tough to get through,” said Horvat, who gave the Islanders a 3-1 lead at 2:31 of the third period as he got around defenseman Mike Matheson. “Standing tall and having good gaps. Then I think our breakouts [helped]. If we can break the puck out well, it gives us so many more offensive opportunities and we don’t spend as much time in our end.
“The defense has been doing a really good job, and we’ve just got to keep that going against fast teams.”
The Canadiens (33-27-8), who received 21 saves from Sam Montembeault, are still on an 8-1-3 run.
“Montreal is a fast team and I guess it gave us a little bit of trouble, but we found a way to win, and that’s all I care about right now,” coach Patrick Roy said. “It’s the way we defended, and when we had some moments where we were not as sharp, Ilya was outstanding. He was definitely the first star of the game. I guess you guys can decide if you gave it because of the number of saves he made or the number of points he got.”
The Canadiens closed to 3-2 on Patrik Laine’s power-play shot from a sharp angle on the left at 4:32 of the third period, a goal that survived the Islanders’ challenge that Juraj Slafkovsky interfered with Sorokin.
“I want to ask the ref what means interference in this game,” Sorokin said. “It’s hard to understand.”
Brendan Gallagher’s breakaway off an Islanders turnover tied it at 3-3 at 14:16 of the third period.
Simon Holmstrom’s blistering riser of a power-play one-timer to the short side from the right circle put the Islanders ahead 2-1 at 16:40 of the second period. It marked the fourth time this season the Islanders have scored two power-play goals in one game and the second time in seven games.
Anthony Duclair’s power-play goal at the crease off Anders Lee’s feed from the right corner opened the scoring at 5:37 of the first period.
The Islanders had been 0-for-18 on the power play their previous six games.
“Probably not our best game, but good teams win games where you’re not playing your best,” Holmstrom said.
Joshua Roy knocked in a loose puck to tie it at 1-1 at 11:58 of the first period. It stayed 1-1 after Roy successfully challenged that Nick Suzuki was offside on his apparent breakaway goal at 4:06 of the second period.
Notes & quotes: There was booing throughout the Canadian national anthem, and while it was not overwhelming, it was more sustained than in previous games against Winnipeg and Edmonton . . . Lee notched his 500th career point, moving him past Derek King and into sole possession of 13th place on the Islanders’ all-time scoring list . . . Defenseman Alexander Romanov still had some lingering effects of an illness and missed his second straight game.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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