MONTREAL _ The Islanders somehow pulled out a 5-4 overtime win over the Canadiens on Monday night on John Tavares' second goal of the night, 1:51 into overtime.
Thomas Greiss made 52 saves and was under siege all evening, especially late in the third. The Islanders were clinging to a 4-3 lead and were down to five defensemen, with Scott Mayfield out after taking a puck to the mouth in the second period.
Max Pacioretty tied the score on a power play with 6:59 to go, a deflection past Greiss. The Islanders had to kill off another Canadiens power play with 4:32 left in regulation and Greiss kept the door closed.
Mathew Barzal had a goal and two assists in helping the Isles to two-goal leads in the first and second periods, but the 56-24 shot advantage for Montreal told a different story. Still, the Islanders managed to win their third straight.
Barzal started his magic early, with a brilliant speed rush to back off the Canadiens defense before a flip to Anthony Beauvillier, who snapped one past Price 1:24 into the game. Beauvillier, from nearby Sorel-Tracy, scored for the second time in as many games in the Bell Centre and for the fourth time in the last three Islanders games.
Barzal took the next one himself. Another speed rush down the right side and a top-shelf wrister at 6:29 to further quiet the home crowd. The problem for the Islanders was those two wondrous moves were rare times when the Isles were in control.
And the Canadiens broke through, first from Nicolas Deslauriers alone in front of Greiss at 8:01 and then Paul Byron at 12:10 after a shot caromed off the end wall and came out front as Greiss spun around, hoping for a goaltender interference call that never came.
The second period started well for the Islanders as the first did. Even Barzal's misfires ended up in the net _ he took a pass from Jordan Eberle and an attempted feed for Beauvillier was blocked, but Adam Pelech flew in for a wrister past Price at 2:37 to restore the Isles lead.
During a penalty kill, John Tavares jumped onto an errant back pass and raced down alone to beat Price at 5:36 to make it 4-2.
The Canadiens thought they'd pulled within a goal at 11:02 on the power play, when David Schlemko stuffed a loose puck past Greiss. But Doug Weight challenged the goal for offsides. When the Canadiens entered the zone a full 53 seconds earlier, Daniel Carr's skate appeared to be off the ice as he crossed the blue line.
The goal was taken off the board, but that seemed to only raise the Canadiens' game. They poured pressure and shots, with Jonathan Drouin smacking home a rebound at 19:16 to cut the Isles lead to one entering the third. The Canadiens also held a 35-13 shot advantage.
