MONTREAL – Guillaume Latendresse scored twice and Christopher Higgins got the go-ahead goal as the Montreal Canadiens overcame a pair of deficits for a 5-3 win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

Latendresse and Michael Ryder scored second-period goals to draw Montreal even at 2. Latendresse got his second of the game – his 15th of the season – midway through the third to tie it at 3 before Higgins beat backup Mike Dunham from the edge of the crease at 11:26.

Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro left the game with 4:19 left in the opening period with an apparent head injury after he collided with Canadiens forward Steve Begin.

Senators 3, Rangers 2

NEW YORK – Andrej Meszaros’ bank shot off the stick of New York Rangers defenseman Marek Malik snapped a third-period tie and lifted Ottawa.

Meszaros rushed up the slot and took a shot that connected with Malik’s stick, hit the right post and caromed past Henrik Lundqvist with 8:48 left. The defenseman hadn’t scored in 21 games.

Ottawa, which erased a 2-0 deficit in the second period, won for the second time in six games and improved to 10-1-4 in its last 15.

Hurricanes 3, Panthers 1

RALEIGH, N.C. – Cory Stillman, Rod Brind’Amour and Scott Walker scored to lead Carolina past Florida.

The Hurricanes are competing for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference without goalie Cam Ward, who injured his left knee Sunday. John Grahame made 26 saves in Ward’s place.

Jozef Stumpel scored for the Panthers, who earned at least a point in nine of their previous 10 games.