New York Islanders at Montréal Canadiens
NHL game between the New York Islanders and the Montréal Canadiens on Mar 21, 2026. Final score: New York Islanders 3, Montréal Canadiens 7.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 21, 2026 |
| Venue | Centre Bell |
| New York Islanders score | 3 |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 7 |
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 | Cole Caufield | R | 3 | 2 | 3 | 16:07 | 0.34 | 4.63 |
| 2nd | Kaiden Guhle | D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 16:21 | 0.11 | 4.13 |
| 3rd | Juraj Slafkovský | L | 2 | 2 | 4 | 17:14 | 1.23 | 3.89 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (New York Islanders–Montréal Canadiens) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 04:10 | MTL | Juraj Slafkovský | Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield | 5v4 | 0–1 |
| 1st 06:46 | NYI | Emil Heineman | Anders Lee | 4v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 13:19 | NYI | Simon Holmstrom | Adam Pelech | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 2nd 17:49 | MTL | Alex Newhook | Kaiden Guhle, Oliver Kapanen | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 2nd 19:08 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovský | 5v4 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 00:45 | NYI | Matthew Schaefer | Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat | 4v5 | 3–3 |
| 3rd 03:17 | MTL | Kaiden Guhle | Alexandre Carrier, Brendan Gallagher | 5v5 | 3–4 |
| 3rd 08:08 | MTL | Juraj Slafkovský | Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki | 5v5 | 3–5 |
| 3rd 11:20 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Juraj Slafkovský, Kaiden Guhle | 5v5 | 3–6 |
| 3rd 14:59 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki | 5v4 | 3–7 |
Team Comparison
| New York Islanders | Montréal Canadiens | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 7 |
| Shots on goal | 22 | 36 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.30 | 4.61 |
| High-danger shots | 9 | 14 |
| Corsi % | 42.7% | 57.3% |
| Power play | 2/3 | 3/3 |
| Faceoff % | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| Hits | 34 | 25 |
| Blocks | 11 | 18 |
| Giveaways | 11 | 13 |
| Takeaways | 3 | 4 |
New York Islanders Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Pelech | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20:29 | 0.03 | 1.23 |
| Emil Heineman | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 17:46 | 1.16 | 0.80 |
| Anders Lee | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17:15 | 0.21 | 0.60 |
| Ryan Pulock | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:19 | 0.04 | 0.54 |
| Marc Gatcomb | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:46 | 0.18 | 0.19 |
| Simon Holmstrom | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15:09 | 0.36 | 0.18 |
| Mathew Barzal | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 18:24 | 0.29 | 0.16 |
| Bo Horvat | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20:21 | 0.11 | 0.13 |
| Matthew Schaefer | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 22:25 | 1.04 | 0.11 |
| Jean-Gabriel Pageau | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:55 | 0.00 | 0.03 |
| Ondrej Palat | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:40 | 0.00 | -0.14 |
| Anthony Duclair | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:37 | 0.13 | -0.31 |
| Casey Cizikas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:20 | 0.04 | -0.39 |
| Brayden Schenn | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:15 | 0.05 | -0.55 |
| Calum Ritchie | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:11 | 0.14 | -0.64 |
| Scott Mayfield | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:48 | 0.00 | -1.04 |
| Carson Soucy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:24 | 0.00 | -1.34 |
| Tony DeAngelo | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21:03 | 0.08 | -1.75 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Caufield | R | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 16:07 | 0.34 | 4.63 |
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 16:21 | 0.11 | 4.13 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 17:14 | 1.23 | 3.89 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 18:47 | 0.32 | 3.61 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20:37 | 0.00 | 2.38 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 14:11 | 0.82 | 1.36 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21:45 | 0.06 | 1.24 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13:15 | 0.22 | 1.11 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:38 | 0.08 | 0.84 |
| Jake Evans | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:02 | 0.17 | 0.83 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:30 | 0.53 | 0.52 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:04 | 0.05 | 0.51 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21:27 | 0.33 | 0.20 |
| Alex Newhook | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 13:52 | 0.24 | 0.14 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13:50 | 0.05 | -0.07 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:42 | 0.06 | -0.08 |
| Jayden Struble | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:51 | 0.00 | -0.48 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:14 | 0.36 | -0.53 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilya Sorokin | New York Islanders | 26 | 32 | 81.2% | -1.21 | L |
| David Rittich | New York Islanders | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | -0.81 | |
| Jacob Fowler | Montréal Canadiens | 19 | 22 | 86.4% | 0.87 | W |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the New York Islanders 7–3 on Mar 21, 2026, a decisive 4-goal win.
Montréal Canadiens generated 4.61 expected goals to New York Islanders's 2.3 — the run of play matched the result, with Montréal Canadiens earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Cole Caufield led all skaters with a Game Score of 4.63 on 3 goals, 2 assists, 3 shots on goal.
Jacob Fowler stopped 19 of 22, worth 0.87 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the New York Islanders vs Montréal Canadiens game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the New York Islanders 7–3 on Mar 21, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Montréal Canadiens 7, New York Islanders 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Cole Caufield led all skaters at 4.63, on 3G, 2A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Montréal Canadiens generated 4.61 expected goals and New York Islanders generated 2.3, so Montréal Canadiens created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
New York Islanders put 22 shots on goal and Montréal Canadiens put 36. High-danger chances went 9 to 14.
How did the goaltenders play?
Ilya Sorokin stopped 26 of 32 (-1.21 goals saved above expected); Jacob Fowler stopped 19 of 22 (0.87 goals saved above expected).