MONTREAL _ Mathew Barzal's 18th goal of the season wasn't enough to halt the New York Islanders' losing streak as the Montreal Canadiens won, 3-1, at Bell Centre on Wednesday night.
The Isles now have lost four games in a row, their second longest winless skid of the season. Jaroslav Halak made 23 saves in defeat.
The Islanders (29-28-7) remain four points behind the inactive Blue Jackets for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Columbus has a game in hand.
Less than four minutes into the game, the 20-year-old Barzal scooped up the puck at the blue line, entered the offensive zone with speed and danced around Canadiens rookie Noah Juulsen before shoveling the puck over Antti Niemi's outstretched pads.
The Islanders had three breakaway chances while playing shorthanded in the first period, but Niemi stopped Casey Cizikas twice and then Brock Nelson.
Montreal made the Islanders pay with three unanswered goals. Paul Byron scored later in the first period, and Jonathan Drouin and Nikita Scherbak scored in the second.
It was the first game since a quiet trade deadline day for the Isles, where general manager Garth Snow made one minor move, acquiring forward Chris Wagner from the Anaheim Ducks. Wagner and defenseman Brandon Davidson, who was picked up two days earlier from the Edmonton Oilers, made their Islanders debuts. Wagner had five hits, Davidson two.
This was the first game of a home-and-home. The Isles host the Canadiens at Barclays Center on Friday.
