MTL@NYI: Postgame

It marked the start of a three-game road trip for Montreal that will also include games against the Tampa Bay Lightning (March 5) and the Florida Panthers (March 7).

Claude Julien's troops certainly had their game faces on before getting down to business.

Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: Soir de match �� Brooklyn. 👔All business in Brooklyn.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/WGchD9VFd0

But they had a little fun leading up to puck drop as well.

Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: Football et futbol d���avant-match. 🏈���Pregame football and futbol.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/RMbneMQZZQ

And it definitely paid dividends in the opening frame to the tune of three straight goals on Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss.

Brendan Gallagher struck first for the Canadiens, tipping a Ben Chiarot shot behind Greiss at the 13:31 mark of the first period.

Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: Une d��viation effectu��e �� la perfection. 👌Deflection perfection.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/0wa1N2qnid

It was his 22nd goal of the season.

Phillip Danault collected the secondary assist on the play to extend his point streak to four consecutive games.

Just 2:12 later, defenseman Jeff Petry's point shot beat Greiss to put the Canadiens up by a pair.

Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: Parfois, le trafic de New York est une bonne chose. 🙃Sometimes the traffic in New York is a good thing.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/1qqvW7sHH1

It was his 11th goal of the season, and he reached the 40-point plateau in the process for the third consecutive season.

Gallagher and Danault picked up the assists.

Up next to light the lamp with 1:26 left in the frame was Charles Hudon, who solved Greiss with a perfectly placed wrist shot upstairs for his first NHL goal since November 10, 2018.

Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: Un premier pour Charles Hudon avec les Canadiens cette saison.Charles Hudon gets his first of the season with the Habs.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/ItXU0z0tOf

That snapped a 29-game goal drought dating back to last season.

All three goals were scored in a span of 5:03.

That's the way things stood after 20 minutes, with the Canadiens outshooting the Islanders 12-7.

Semyon Varlamov took over for Greiss in between the pipes to begin the second period.

The Canadiens kept the offense coming, though.

Paul Byron put Montreal ahead 4-0 with a short-handed goal at the 12:35 mark of the stanza, fending off an Islanders defender and beating Varlamov with a backhander.

Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: Le gros but de Ti-Paul en d��savantage num��rique.Pauly with the shorty.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/lO1wxUdXQl

It was Byron's fourth goal of the season, and the lone assist went to Joel Armia.

Julien's squad took that lead into the final frame.

Brock Nelson finally got the Islanders on the board at the 6:14 mark of the third period.

He was the beneficiary of a Carey Price mistake behind the Canadiens' net, which resulted in a loose puck coming his way off the stick of Josh Bailey.

Jordan Weal added another goal for the Canadiens to give Montreal a 5-1 lead with 4:32 remaining in regulation.

It was his eighth goal of the season, matching his career-high.

Ryan Pulock responded for the Islanders with a power-play goal, but Armia added an empty-netter to cap the scoring.

It was Armia's 16th goal of the season.

That's the way things finished up in Brooklyn.