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Park, Guerin, "own goal" lift Islanders past Canadiens

Nov 25, 2008 - 6:06 AM MONTREAL (Ticker) -- Richard Park and captain Bill Guerin both scored in regulation and in the shootout as the New York Islanders benefited from an "own goal" to record a 4-3 triumph over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.

After Joey MacDonald stopped both attempts in the bonus format, Guerin wristed a shot past Carey Price in the third round to seal the win for New York, which improved to 5-1-0 in its last six games.

Park and Trent Hunter netted power-play goals for the Islanders and Guerin tied the game at 3-3 with 4:47 remaining in the contest after Montreal defenseman Ryan O'Byrne accidentally shot the puck in his own net.

"This is a game of mistakes (and) everybody makes mistakes," captain Saku Koivu said. "Those plays happen to everybody. It's something that I'm sure he'd love to get back, (but) he has to forget that - it's just a play, but it was in a crucial time and was a break for them."

"It wasn't Ryan O'Byrne who lost us this game, it was our power play and defense that made us lose," Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau said. "I've used the same 10 guys on the power play all season, but I might go with my fourth line if I want to get a goal."

Defenseman Josh Gorges, Steve Begin and Maxim Lapierre all scored for the Canadiens, who had posted six straight victories over the Islanders prior to Monday's contest.

Price finished with 21 saves for Montreal, which fell to 3-5-2 since getting off to an 8-1-1 start to the season.

With Montreal nursing a 3-2 lead late in the third period, Price skated toward the bench after a delayed penalty for holding was called on Sean Bergenheim. The puck was played back to O'Byrne, who was being pressured by veteran Doug Weight. The 24-year-old defenseman mistakenly assumed Price was still in net and attempted to pass the puck to the netminder. The puck slid into the net as O'Byrne incredulously put his head in his hands.

Weight instantly celebrated and Guerin was given credit for the goal since he was the last New York player to touch the puck.

O'Byrne did not log any additional ice time after the miscue. For its part, the Bell Centre faithful derisively chanted his name.

"The puck was kind of chipped off the boards and I went back to get it and play it back to Price and I didn't realize he wasn't in the net," O'Byrne said. "Unfortunate circumstance, put it all behind you.

"I had to face the music, right? They were chanting my name at the end, the fans, probably not for the right reason but once again, it happens to everybody and tomorrow's another day."

In the shootout, Park and Guerin beat Price with wrist shots, and MacDonald made the stops to seal the win.

"It's good to get that second point in the shootout, the guys kind of battled, we were down all game and we just kept battling," MacDonald said. "We chipped that second goal in at the end of the second and just kept shooting and getting some ugly goals - and that's how we have to win hockey games."

"The thing that's most impressive about (the way we are playing) is that we are doing it with a depleted line-up," Islanders coach Scott Gordon said. "We're missing some key guys and Joey (MacDonald) has been coming up big for us. When we get those guys back, it should set us up to continue to get stronger."