"Max Pacioretty picked up his first NHL hat trick to lead the offence and Carey Price made 31 saves as the Canadiens defeated the New York Islanders 4-2 at the Nassau Coliseum Thursday night. But the loudest cheers from the Canadiens' fans in attendance were reserved for Scott Gomez, who scored his first goal in more than a year.

Standing still: The Canadiens' third consecutive victory allowed them to move into 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings with 53 points and a one-point edge over the Islanders. But the Canadiens made little progress in their pursuit of a playoff spot because the teams they're chasing either won or earned points. The one exception was Toronto, which lost to Philadelphia and dropped into eighth place. The Leafs have a nine-point edge over the Canadiens. "