Bo Horvat’s OT winner lifts NY Islanders past Montreal and closer to playoff spot

The New York Islanders inched closer to a playoff spot on Thursday and did so in dramatic fashion. Bo Horvat delivered the game-winner, scoring his second goal of the game 3:37 into OT to lift the Isles to a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens at UBS Arena. The win pushed their point streak to four games (3-0-1) as they pulled to within two points of the Habs for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, with both teams having 14 games left to play in the regular season.

Ilya Sorokin was excellent again, making 38 saves and recording two assists—becoming the first Islanders goaltender to notch multiple points in a single game. Anthony Duclair and Simon Holmstrom each scored on the power play as the Isles improved to 7-3-1 over the last 11 games after a four-game losing streak appeared to have knocked them out of playoff contention.

“What I really like is that without playing our best game, we found a way to win,” Head Coach Patrick Roy said. “At the end of the day, if you’re not playing your best and find ways to win, it’s a good sign, that’s a sign of a good hockey team.”

The Canadiens erased a 3-1 third-period deficit, with Brendan Gallagher tying the game with 14:16 left after a costly turnover by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Patrik Laine (1G, 1A) and Joshua Roy also found the net for Montreal, while Sam Montembeault made 21 saves in the loss. All three Islanders games with Montreal reached OT this season.

The Islanders continue their four-game homestand on Saturday afternoon against the Calgary Flames. Face-off is set for 4:00 PM EDT.