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Isles fend off Habs

Nov 18, 2011 - 4:33 AM Uniondale, NY (Sports Network) - Matt Moulson tallied during a four-goal second period for New York as the Islanders hung on for a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

P.A. Parenteau, Jay Pandolfo and Mark Streit also scored for the Islanders, who snapped a four-game losing skid.

"It was interesting at the end, but we battled and played some good hockey tonight," Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said.

Evgeni Nabokov started in net but left the game in the first period with a groin injury. He made two saves before Rick DiPietro came on to make 24 stops.

"Day-to-day right now, obviously he's got something there but we don't know until he gets reevaluated," Capuano said of Nabokov.

Max Pacioretty, Brian Gionta and Erik Cole netted goals for Montreal, which got 29 saves from Peter Budaj.

"The first 30 minutes especially, we gave them too many scoring chances and they got people who are going to capitalize," Montreal head coach Jacques Martin said.

Parenteau got the Islanders on the board first, 43 seconds into the second period after Budaj failed to play the puck from behind the boards. The puck caromed off Budaj's stick and into the slot, where Parenteau backhanded it home.

A few minutes later, Josh Bailey found Pandolfo in the slot from the right point, and Pandolfo one-timed it past Budaj for a 2-0 lead.

Streit made it a 3-0 game nine minutes into the second by pouncing on a loose puck in the crease and tipping it in.

The Habs came back later in second period, though. Lars Eller intercepted Mike Mottau in his own zone, found Pacioretty with a pass from the left point, and Pacioretty snapped it past DiPietro with 5:08 to go in the second period.

Cole made it a 3-2 game just 2:46 later. Raphael Diaz wristed a shot from the right point and Cole wristed home the rebound.

But the Islanders responded, as Moulson tallied just 37 seconds later to push the lead back to two. DiPietro started the play with a pass to John Tavares at center ice. Tavares moved in on the right wing and dropped a pass off to Moulson, who flicked it past Budaj from just outside the right circle.

Gionta made it 4-3 with 4:18 left in the game on the power play, but DiPietro came up big in the final moments as the Islanders hung on for the victory.

Game Notes

Pandolfo's goal was the 100th of his career and first as an Islander...New York has been outscored 9-1 in the third period in its last five games...Plekanec tallied two assists, giving him 14 this season.