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Canadiens top Islanders

Dec 24, 2014 - 5:12 AM Uniondale, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - After a slow start, the Montreal Canadiens scored three unanswered goals to top the New York Islanders, 3-1, on Tuesday.

Carey Price made 37 saves for the Canadiens, who have won five of their last six games.

Montreal got second-period goals from Andrei Markov and Brendan Gallagher, and David Desharnais added an insurance marker late in the third period to seal the win.

Kyle Okposo scored for the Islanders 12 minutes into the game, but they did not light the lamp again as they lost their four-game winning streak.

Chad Johnson got the start in net for New York and made 18 saves on 21 shots.

The Canadiens needed 14 minutes just to get their first shot on goal, but the second period went much better.

Montreal was able to tie the game six minutes into the middle period. With traffic in front of the net, Markov blasted a shot from the blue line past Johnson for the equalizer.

Just five minutes later the Canadiens moved in front. On a 3-on-2, Gallagher dropped a pass off to Alex Galchenyuk and drove to the net. Galchenyuk set up Sergei Gonchar for a shot that was partially blocked, and Gallagher pounded the loose puck in the slot past Johnson for the 2-1 lead.

"We didn't change anything system-wise," said Gallagher. "I think we just started competing better."

Late in the game the Canadiens added an insurance goal before New York could even get the extra attacker on the ice. In transition, Lars Eller found Desharnais cutting to the net, and Desharnais was able to redirect the pass past Johnson for the two-goal lead with 1:11 left in the game.

"Yeah, it's frustrating. That's all I can really say," said Johnson.

The Islanders were buzzing early in the game, as they fired 11 shots on Price before Johnson had to make his first save.

New York capitalized on that fast start with the first goal. After some strong skating through the neutral zone from John Tavares created a 2-on-1 rush, Okposo received Tavares' pass and snapped the puck by Price for the 1-0 lead.

Game Notes

Price moved passed Ken Dryden for third-most games in Canadiens history by a goaltender ... Markov has two goals and four assists in a five-game point streak ... This was Markov's 800th NHL game, all with Montreal ... Galchenyuk has four goals and three assists in his four-game point streak ... Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak did not dress with what was described as a maintenance day.