The New York Islanders played an outstanding game for most of a rather crucial contest, playoff-wise, but the Montreal Canadiens winningest goalie in franchise history nearly undid the effort.
Instead of a frustrating ending, however, the Isles broke through late on a goal by their captain set up by their number-one center. The resulting 2-1 win at Nassau Coliseum strengthened their playoff position considerably. With the Canadiens being the first team outside the wild card slot, the win to keep them eight points behind the Isles was huge.
The Islanders came out on top of their game, with only Carey Price keeping them from getting something to show for it.