Hidden Game: Canadiens lose to Roy Islanders in overtime

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In a surprising move, New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello fired head coach Lane Lambert on Saturday morning and replaced him with former Canadian goaltender Patrick Roy.

The Isles were 19-15-11 at the time, but have lost four in a row and six of seven.

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Has the move paid dividends? Yes. The team went 18-12-4 under Roy and won six straight. Was it surprising? Depends on your perspective.

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The Isles have reduced their shots against by more than five per game, and their goals against average has dropped from 3.36 to 2.97. But under Lambert, the power play was 22.9 percent. Entering Thursday's game, he shot 16.8 percent. The penalty kill (73 percent) is now 69.2 – worst in the NHL.

As with anything in life, time will tell.

The news you need (Part I): New York quarterback Noah Dobson played just three shifts before leaving the game with an injury. How important was it? Forget for a moment, he left the team with only five defenders. Dobson had 10 goals and 70 points this season and became the first Islanders blueliner to score at least 70 points since Denis Potvin (1983-84) accomplished the feat for the seventh time in his storied career.

How to not start the game: The Canadiens didn't register a shot until 8:28 before captain Nick Suzuki.

Who needs it anyway: Defenseman Jordan Harris opened the scoring with a shot from the blue line at 17:58. It was only the fourth hit by the Canadians. Harris has three goals this season. He scored for the first time in 18 games.

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The News You Need (Part II): Montreal defenders have 46 goals this season. Colorado leads with 62 points. The Canadiens are tied for fourth with Edmonton.

Best nighttime frosting: At the end of the first period, Canadiens goalkeeper Samuel Montembo sent the puck to the ice. The ball goes to Tanner Pearson on a line change. He didn't see the disc. He was not touched either.

Best save by a guy not playing online: In the 18th minute of the game, Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock blocked a shot by Suzuki without a stick.

Goalkeeper's best friend: In the fourth minute of the second period, Bo Horvath beat Montembo from the slot, but could not cross the crossbar. Croatia leads the islanders with 33 goals. He doesn't let go very often.

How not to reverse check: Pierre Engvall looked like a figure skater for the Isles' first goal just over five minutes into the second period. He was allowed to swing free from the sideboards to center, beating Montembo up to the glove side.

We've seen this movie before: The Canadiens didn't register their first shot of the period until 10:43.

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You knew it was coming: The last time these teams met on Jan. 25, Brendan Gallagher headbutted defender Adam Pelech, earning a match penalty, foul play and a five-game suspension. Not surprisingly, midway through the fight, Gallagher was punched from behind by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and a brawl ensued. Pageau, who is two inches taller and has a slight weight advantage, lands a right hand but ends up on the ice below his opponent. Give Pageau a split solution.

“I was ready for the ice,” Gallagher told Montreal reporters after the game in Elmont, N.Y. “I don't think about either of us (fighting) often. So the fight was a bit interesting. But I have a lot of respect for him. It's part of the game. You have to answer for that.”

Inch Game: Joel Armia hit the post midway through the period.

Crazy Penalty: Juraj Slafkovskiy for holding Pulock in the attack zone in the 13th minute of the period. This, as you may have noticed, is a recurring theme. Otherwise, Slafkowski will delight Canadiens fans for years to come.

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On the other hand: Slafkowski, not known for his shooting prowess, blocked one from Pelech late in the period.

Look, the guy scored a goal in the last game: Josh Anderson, who has been successful offensively this season, somehow wasted one of three interceptions early in the third period, deciding to shoot instead of pass.

The News You Need (Part III): Mike Matheson became the sixth Canadian defenseman to record 50 assists in a season when he assisted on Cole Caufield's goal at 3:42.

The News You Need (Part IV): Caufield has five goals and seven points in his last six games. Matheson has nine points in that span. Suzuki has seven points in the last six.

Impulse, torque: Casey Chizikas tied the game less than three minutes after Caufield's goal.

Don't accept the fine next time: The Islanders were 0-for-4 on the power play.

Strange but true: For the second straight game, the Canadiens lacked a power play.

He deserved a better fate: Montembo, as usual, kept Montreal in the game. He stopped 31 shots for a .912 save percentage.

On the other hand: He didn't look good on the winning goal, 77 seconds into overtime, when Kyle Palmieri beat him from a short corner.

The news you need (Part V): The Canadiens are now 17-11-13 in one-goal games and the Islanders are 20-3-15.

Stats of the night: Caufield and Army each had four of the Canadiens' 14 total shots.

They said: “They were better than us,” Gallagher said. “They're playing good hockey right now. We try to match the desperation level of the teams. Tonight we didn't.”

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