UNIONDALE, N.Y., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The New York Islanders scored on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jose Theodore for the first time in three games Monday night and handed the Hart Trophy winner a 3-1 defeat.
Dave Scatchard scored the go-ahead goal with 5:36 remaining as the Islanders rallied for three third-period tallies, two nights after surrendering three goals in the final period in a loss to Washington.
Scatchard won a draw in the right circle from Yanic Perreault, the league's top faceoff man. He drove to the net and put a rebound of defenseman Adrian Aucoin's blast through Theodore to give New York a 2-1 lead.
Theodore had not allowed a goal to the Islanders in 169 minutes, 5 seconds. He carried another shutout into the third period until Mark Parrish beat him off a rebound with 10:55 to play.
In his previous two appearances against New York, Theodore stopped 26 shots in a 4-0 blanking last Jan. 10 and 42 more in a 3-0 win on Nov. 7.
Claude Lapointe added an empty-netter with 22 seconds to play for the Islanders, who won for only the second time in seven games.
The Canadiens, who started a seven-game road trip, grabbed a 1-0 lead on Mike Ribeiro's goal late in the first period. It was the first power-play goal allowed by New York in 10 games, ending a streak of 36 penalty-kills.
