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It was a stunning move, coming on a Saturday morning back in January, when New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello fired head coach Lane Lambert, replacing him with former Canadiens goaltender Patrick Roy.

The Islanders were 19-15-11 at the time, but had lost four straight and six of seven.

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Has the move paid dividends? Yes. The team is 18-12-4 under Roy and has six consecutive victories. Has it been staggering? Depends on your point of view.

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The Islanders have reduced their shots against by more than five per game while their goals-against average has dropped to 2.97 from 3.36. But the power play was at 22.9 per cent under Lambert. Heading into Thursday’s game, it was at 16.8 per cent. The penalty kill (73 per cent) is now at 69.2 — worst in the NHL.

Like anything in life, time will tell.

News you need (Part I): New York defenceman Noah Dobson played only three shifts before leaving the game with an undisclosed injury. How significant was this? Forget for a moment it left the team with only five defencemen. Dobson has 10 goals and 70 points this season and became the first Islanders blueliner with at least 70 points since Denis Potvin (1983-84) accomplished it for the seventh time in his illustrious career.

How not to start a game: The Canadiens failed to register a shot until 8:28, when captain Nick Suzuki was denied on a breakaway.

Who needs shots, anyways: Defenceman Jordan Harris opened the scoring at 17:58 with a blast from the blue line. It was only the Canadiens’ fourth shot. Harris now has three goals this season. It was the first time he had scored in 18 games.

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News you need (Part II): Montreal defencemen now have 46 goals this season. Colorado leads, with 62. The Canadiens are tied for fourth, with Edmonton.

Best icing of the night: Late in the opening period, Canadiens goalie Samuel Montembeault sent the puck down the ice. The pass was intended for Tanner Pearson, in the midst of a line change. He didn’t see the disc. Nor did he touch it.

Best save by a guy not playing in net: In the game’s 18th minute, Islanders defenceman Ryan Pulock, without a stick, blocked a Suzuki shot.

Goalie’s best friend: In the fourth minute of the second period, Bo Horvat from the slot beat Montembeault but couldn’t beat the crossbar. Horvat leads the Islanders in goals, with 33. He doesn’t miss often.

How not to backcheck: Pierre Engvall looked like a figure skater on the Islanders’ opening goal, coming slightly more than five minutes into the second period. He was allowed to freewheel from the side boards into the middle, beating Montembeault high to the glove side.

We’ve seen this movie before: The Canadiens didn’t register their first shot of the period until 10:43.

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You knew this was coming: When these teams last met on Jan. 25, Brendan Gallagher delivered a hit to the head of defenceman Adam Pelech, was given a match penalty, game misconduct and was suspended five games. It came as no surprise when Gallagher was hit from behind by Jean-Gabriel Pageau midway through the second, touching off a fight. Pageau, with a two-inch height and negligible weight advantage, landed some right hands but ended up on the ice, below his opponent. Give Pageau a split decision.

“I came to the rink ready for that,” Gallagher told Montreal reporters post-game in Elmont, N.Y. “I don’t think either of us (fight) all that often. That’s why the fight was a little less entertaining. But I have a lot of respect for him. It’s part of the game. You have to answer for that.”

Game of inches: Joel Armia hit the post midway through the period.

Dumb penalty: Juraj Slafkovsky for holding on Pulock in the offensive zone in the 13th minute of the period. This, you’ve likely noticed, is a recurring theme. Otherwise, Slafkovsky will delight Canadiens fans for years to come.

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On the other hand: Slafkovsky, not known for his shot-blocking prowess, blocked one by Pelech late in the period.

Look, the guy scored the last game: Josh Anderson, who has had little offensive luck this season, somehow squandered a three-on-one break early in the third period, deciding to shoot instead of passing.

News you need (Part III): With an assist on Cole Caufield’s go-ahead goal at 3:42 of the third, Mike Matheson became only the sixth Canadiens defenceman with 50 assists in a season.

News you need (Part IV): Caufield has five goals and seven points in his last six games. Matheson has nine points over the same span. Suzuki has seven points in the last six.

Momentum, schmomentum: Less than three minutes following Caufield’s goal, Casey Cizikas tied the game.

Next time, decline the penalty: The Islanders went 0-for-4 on the power play.

Strange, but true: For the second consecutive game, the Canadiens didn’t have a power play.

He deserved a better fate: Montembeault, as usual, kept Montreal in the game. He stopped 31 shots for a .912 save percentage.

On the other hand: He didn’t look good on the winning goal, 77 seconds into overtime, Kyle Palmieri beating him from a tight angle to the short side.

News you need (Part V): The Canadiens are now 17-11-13 in one-goal games while the Islanders improved to 20-3-15.

Stats of the night: Of the Canadiens’ 14 total shots, Caufield and Armia each had four.

They said it: “They were better than us,” Gallagher said. “They’re playing good hockey right now. We’re trying to match teams’ desperation level. Tonight we didn’t.”

hzurkowsky@postmedia.com

twitter.com/HerbZurkowsky1

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