Jean-Gabriel Pageau helps Islanders complete overtime rally against Canadiens
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MONTREAL – Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored 1:46 into overtime as the New York Islanders rallied past the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Thursday at Bell Centre.
Islanders rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer scored twice in a 55-second span late in the second period, giving him 18 goals on the season.
Schaefer surpassed Denis Potvin for the most goals scored by an Islanders rookie defenceman. The Hamilton native, selected first overall by New York in last year’s draft, also moved past Phil Housley for the most goals by an 18-year-old defenceman in the process.
Islanders captain Anders Lee, skating in his 900th game, also scored for New York (32-22-5), as it ran its win streak to three games.
Ilya Sorokin stopped 21 shots in the winning effort. The Russian netminder improved his lifetime record against Montreal to 7-0-2.
Noah Dobson celebrated his first game against his former team with a pair of goals for the Canadiens (32-17-9). Cole Caufield scored his team-leading 33rd goal for Montreal in the third period as Samuel Montembeault made 23 saves.
Dobson, who scored both at even strength and on the power play, spent his first six NHL seasons with the Islanders before being traded last June by New York to Montreal in exchange for Emil Heineman and two 2025 first-round draft picks.
It was the first game back for both teams following the NHL’s 19-day pause for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games.
TAKEAWAYS
Islanders: New York snapped an 0-for-10 drought with the man advantage. The Islanders entered play Thursday ranked last in the Eastern Conference and 30th overall in power-play efficiency.
Canadiens: Consequently, Montreal has now given up at least one power-play goal in four straight games.
KEY MOMENT
Dobson took advantage of a poor line change by the Islanders to open the scoring for Montreal in the first period. The Canadiens defenceman took a stretch pass from Lane Hutson before firing a wrist shot from the left circle that beat Sorokin to the glove side.
KEY STAT
Dobson now has 12 goals on the season, just one shy of his single-season high of 13 goals, achieved with the Islanders in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. The 26-year-old also ran his point streak to a career-high six games.
UP NEXT
Islanders: Visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
Canadiens: Host the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2026.
Note to readers:This is a corrected version of an earlier story. It corrects the time of the game-winning goal.