Even after beating the Canadiens 2-1, the pressure remains on the Islanders, who still face four key upcoming games against four playoff contenders.
The Islanders could not afford a fifth straight loss on Saturday night.
Winning was a bare minimum, and losing it would have been tantamount to a fire alarm for a group that thinks itself good enough to make it back to the playoffs. The message Saturday morning from coach Lane Lambert, on the back of the messy loss Thursday, was simple: Shoot the puck and hit the net.Anthony Beauvillier celebrates after scoring a goal on am Montembeault for the game-winning goal in the Islanders’ 2-1 win over the Canadiens.Eight hours later, the Islanders hit the ice like a team that had gotten the message. They put their usual first-period woes aside and jumped all over Montreal from the outset. The Islanders got pucks deep.
It was the first time since Dec. 16 at Arizona that the Islanders led 2-0 in a first period. And unlike that night in Tempe, it was not followed by a second period in which they fell apart at the seams.Robert Sabo
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