Nick Suzuki scored the game-winning goal in overtime and added an assist as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the New York Islanders 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Suzuki knocked in the rebound off his own shot 2:39 into overtime to score his 10th goal of the season.
Patrik Laine, who was making his debut with the Canadiens, scored the other goal. The Canadiens avoided a third straight loss and won their second game in the last six (2-3-1).
This was the fourth consecutive game between the Canadiens and Islanders that was decided by just one goal.
Sam Montembeault made 30 saves for his fourth career win against the Islanders, and his first win since Nov. 18 against the Oilers.
Anders Lee scored for the Islanders, and Ilya Sorokin made 25 saves in the loss. New York has been outscored 44-22 in the third period and overtime this season.
Laine scored the first goal of the game on a power play at 7:23 of the second period, beating Sorokin with a wrist shot from the faceoff circle. Laine’s goal was his first of the season, and he became the 76th player in franchise history to score in his debut.
Laine, who was traded to the Canadiens in August from the Columbus Blue Jackets, missed the first 24 games of the season due to a knee injury he suffered in a preseason game on Sept. 28 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
With his assist on Laine’s goal, Suzuki extended his point streak to four games, with three goals and four assists.
The Islanders responded late in the second period with a power-play goal from Lee, who chipped in his own rebound past Montembeault for his team-leading 11th goal of the season. Lee has three goals and three assists in his last three games.
The first period ended scoreless, with the Canadiens outshooting the Islanders 7-5.
This was the second of three regular-season matchups between the two teams. The Islanders won 4-3 in a shootout against the Canadiens on Oct. 19. The season series will conclude on March 20 in Elmont, N.Y.
