By Canadian Press

Josh Anderson scores twice, Canadiens hold off Islanders for 5-3 win

Dec 16, 2023 | 6:59 PM

MONTREAL — Josh Anderson scored twice as the Montreal Canadiens held on for a 5-3 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday night.

Anderson beat a goalie for the first time this season. He entered the night with one goal — an empty-netter — through 29 games.

Cole Caufield, with his first goal in seven games, and Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak also scored for Montreal (13-13-4), while Sean Monahan, Nick Suzuki and Justin Barron pitched in with two assists each.

Sam Montembeault stopped 31 shots in his second consecutive start as Montreal won just a second game at home in their last 10 outings at Bell Centre.

Brock Nelson scored twice, Noah Dobson had three assists and Semyon Varlamov finished with 35 saves for New York (14-8-8), which trailed 4-0 entering the third period but scored three times to make it a one-goal game. It was the Islanders’ first regulation loss in December. 

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Bo Horvat extended his point streak to a career-high 10 games by scoring New York’s third goal.

The Islanders were playing the second night of a back-to-back after losing 5-4 in a shootout to the Boston Bruins on Friday, and it showed through 40 minutes.

Montreal controlled the play in the first period and outshot New York 14-10 before taking it up a notch in the second with four unanswered goals.

Armia broke the deadlock at 7:45 of the second period with a powerful wrist shot over Varlamov’s shoulder from the slot.

Anderson doubled the Canadiens lead with a shot through a screen for his second of the season at 10:35.

Montreal then scored twice 15 seconds apart in the final minute of the frame to take a commanding lead.

Anderson potted his second of the night by driving to the net before Caufield finished a tick-tack-toe play with Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky at 19:21 for his eighth of the campaign

Montreal outshot the Islanders 21-6 in the period, but the third was all New York.

Nelson scored short-handed 2:07 into the frame to get the Islanders on the board before adding another at even-strength 1:36 later to quickly cut the deficit in half and swing the momentum. Nelson leads the Islanders with 15 goals this season.

Horvat buried a rebound at 14:06 to bring New York within one.

The Canadiens held off some sustained pressure from the Islanders the rest of the way and Dvorak scored into an empty net with 22 seconds left.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Open a seven-game road trip at the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.

Islanders: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2023.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press