New York Islanders at Montréal Canadiens
NHL game between the New York Islanders and the Montréal Canadiens on Feb 26, 2026. Final score: New York Islanders 4, Montréal Canadiens 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Feb 26, 2026 |
| Venue | Centre Bell |
| New York Islanders score | 4 |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 3 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Matthew Schaefer | D | 2 | 0 | 3 | 25:56 | 0.14 | 1.60 |
| 2nd | Noah Dobson | D | 2 | 0 | 3 | 21:54 | 1.03 | 1.50 |
| 3rd | Simon Holmstrom | R | 0 | 2 | 1 | 16:02 | 0.20 | 1.18 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (New York Islanders–Montréal Canadiens) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 12:11 | MTL | Noah Dobson | Lane Hutson | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 10:06 | MTL | Noah Dobson | Alexandre Texier, Alex Newhook | 5v4 | 0–2 |
| 2nd 17:56 | NYI | Matthew Schaefer | Mathew Barzal, Calum Ritchie | 3v5 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 18:51 | NYI | Matthew Schaefer | Tony DeAngelo, Ilya Sorokin | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 09:11 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Ivan Demidov, Juraj Slafkovský | 5v4 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 18:19 | NYI | Anders Lee | Bo Horvat, Simon Holmstrom | 5v6 | 3–3 |
| OT 01:46 | NYI | Jean-Gabriel Pageau | Simon Holmstrom | 3v3 | 4–3 |
Team Comparison
| New York Islanders | Montréal Canadiens | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 26 | 25 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.39 | 3.09 |
| High-danger shots | 16 | 7 |
| Corsi % | 52.5% | 47.5% |
| Power play | 1/2 | 2/3 |
| Faceoff % | 48.5% | 51.5% |
| Hits | 26 | 22 |
| Blocks | 20 | 20 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 3 |
New York Islanders Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Schaefer | D | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 25:56 | 0.14 | 1.60 |
| Simon Holmstrom | R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16:02 | 0.20 | 1.18 |
| Jean-Gabriel Pageau | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 14:51 | 0.52 | 0.95 |
| Bo Horvat | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 23:50 | 0.73 | 0.89 |
| Anders Lee | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 14:15 | 0.54 | 0.80 |
| Mathew Barzal | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22:19 | 0.00 | 0.64 |
| Calum Ritchie | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14:26 | 0.04 | 0.59 |
| Tony DeAngelo | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20:45 | 0.21 | 0.59 |
| Marc Gatcomb | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:59 | 0.01 | 0.35 |
| Ondrej Palat | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:25 | 0.09 | 0.25 |
| Emil Heineman | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:43 | 0.19 | 0.20 |
| Ryan Pulock | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:43 | 0.07 | 0.15 |
| Jonathan Drouin | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:27 | 0.20 | 0.10 |
| Casey Cizikas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:52 | 0.07 | 0.05 |
| Carson Soucy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:51 | 0.04 | 0.05 |
| Adam Pelech | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:04 | 0.02 | 0.05 |
| Kyle MacLean | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:29 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Scott Mayfield | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:52 | 0.00 | -0.15 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah Dobson | D | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 21:54 | 1.03 | 1.50 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 21:09 | 1.16 | 0.85 |
| Alex Newhook | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:18 | 0.19 | 0.79 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:01 | 0.19 | 0.69 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24:00 | 0.08 | 0.64 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:04 | 0.06 | 0.59 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18:42 | 0.06 | 0.54 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:03 | 0.02 | 0.35 |
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:37 | 0.12 | 0.25 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:09 | 0.43 | 0.20 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 24:36 | 0.53 | 0.15 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:58 | 0.02 | 0.10 |
| Kirby Dach | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:09 | 0.02 | 0.10 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:29 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:08 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:45 | 0.03 | 0.00 |
| Jake Evans | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:25 | 0.10 | 0.00 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:55 | 0.07 | 0.00 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilya Sorokin | New York Islanders | 22 | 25 | 88.0% | 0.41 | W |
| Samuel Montembeault | Montréal Canadiens | 22 | 26 | 84.6% | -1.61 | O |
Analysis
The New York Islanders defeated the Montréal Canadiens 4–3 on Feb 26, 2026, a one-goal game.
Montréal Canadiens generated 3.09 expected goals to New York Islanders's 3.39 — New York Islanders edged the chance share as well as the scoreline; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Matthew Schaefer led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.6 on 2 goals, 3 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the New York Islanders vs Montréal Canadiens game?
The New York Islanders beat the Montréal Canadiens 4–3 on Feb 26, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was New York Islanders 4, Montréal Canadiens 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Matthew Schaefer led all skaters at 1.6, on 2G, 0A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Montréal Canadiens generated 3.09 expected goals and New York Islanders generated 3.39, so New York Islanders created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
New York Islanders put 26 shots on goal and Montréal Canadiens put 25. High-danger chances went 16 to 7.
How did the goaltenders play?
Ilya Sorokin stopped 22 of 25 (0.41 goals saved above expected); Samuel Montembeault stopped 22 of 26 (-1.61 goals saved above expected).