Islanders beat Canadiens in overtime for crucial victory

The requisite playoff intensity abounded for the Islanders in match so crucial to their postseason hopes. They could not match the Canadiens’ speed and that often left them scrambling. But the Islanders showed pluck and were harder along the walls in what some of their players acknowledged was the biggest game of the season so far.

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.

Finally, it added up to a 4-3 overtime win on Thursday night at UBS Arena on Bo Horvat’s goal at 3:27 of the extra period as the Islanders pulled within two points of the Canadiens for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot after blowing a two-goal lead in the third period.

The Islanders (32-28-8) got 38 saves in another strong performance from goalie Ilya Sorokin and have won three straight. They are on a 3-0-1 run overall and 10-2-1 at home since Jan. 18.

The Canadiens (33-27-8), who received 21 saves from Sam Montembeault, entered the match on an 8-1-2 run.

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 matches.

Of course, the Islanders had been 0-for-18 on the power play their previous six games and ranked last in the NHL on the man advantage.

Horvat, getting around defenseman Mike Matheson, pushed the lead to 3-1 at 2:31 of the third period.

The Canadiens closed to 3-2 on Patrik Laine’s power-play shot from a sharp angle on the left, a goal that survived the Islanders’ challenge that Juraj Slafkovsky interfered with Sorokin.

The Islanders took a 1-0 lead on Anthony Duclair’s power-play goal at 5:37 of the first period as he redirected Anders Lee’s feed as he skated out of the right corner. It was notable because it marked the Islanders’ first man-advantage goal in six games and their first, first-period goal over the same span.

But Joshua Roy beat defenseman Noah Dobson to a loose puck in the crease to tie it at 1-1 at 11:58 after Sorokin, who did stop 14 first-period shots, could not locate the rebound of defenseman Jayden Struble’s shot. It stayed 1-1 after Islanders coach Patrick Roy successfully challenged Nick Suzuki was offside before scoring an apparent breakaway goal off Emil Heineman’s stretch pass 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 with the primary assist on Duclair’s power-play goal, moving him past Derek King 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 . . . Defensemen Adam Boqvist and Scott Perunovich also remained out of the lineup and Matt Martin remained the extra forward.