Montréal Canadiens at New York Rangers
NHL game between the Montréal Canadiens and the New York Rangers on Apr 02, 2026. Final score: Montréal Canadiens 3, New York Rangers 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Apr 02, 2026 |
| Venue | Madison Square Garden |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 3 |
| New York Rangers score | 2 |
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 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 16:20 | 0.88 | 2.22 |
| 2nd | Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 2 | 1 | 21:17 | 0.50 | 1.68 |
| 3rd | Will Cuylle | L | 1 | 0 | 6 | 17:23 | 0.85 | 1.44 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Montréal Canadiens–New York Rangers) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 04:36 | MTL | Alex Newhook | Ivan Demidov | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 2nd 06:20 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Juraj Slafkovský, Nick Suzuki | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 3rd 09:23 | NYR | Adam Fox | Mika Zibanejad, Vladislav Gavrikov | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 3rd 14:08 | NYR | Will Cuylle | Jonny Brodzinski, Vincent Trocheck | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 14:55 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Mike Matheson, Nick Suzuki | 5v5 | 3–2 |
Team Comparison
| Montréal Canadiens | New York Rangers | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 25 | 24 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.74 | 3.27 |
| High-danger shots | 11 | 13 |
| Corsi % | 44.5% | 55.5% |
| Power play | 0/2 | 0/2 |
| Faceoff % | 57.7% | 42.3% |
| Hits | 22 | 27 |
| Blocks | 13 | 5 |
| Giveaways | 15 | 18 |
| Takeaways | 3 | 5 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Caufield | R | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 16:20 | 0.88 | 2.22 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 21:17 | 0.50 | 1.68 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20:38 | 0.47 | 1.30 |
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:58 | 0.03 | 0.82 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23:22 | 0.00 | 0.75 |
| Alex Newhook | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12:32 | 0.06 | 0.59 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25:54 | 0.07 | 0.48 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:45 | 0.03 | 0.38 |
| Jayden Struble | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:57 | 0.00 | 0.25 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12:30 | 0.05 | 0.22 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:07 | 0.01 | 0.17 |
| Jake Evans | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:11 | 0.41 | 0.04 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:38 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:54 | 0.00 | -0.07 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8:50 | 0.14 | -0.07 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:26 | 0.05 | -0.08 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:58 | 0.11 | -0.09 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:43 | 0.03 | -0.29 |
New York Rangers Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Cuylle | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 17:23 | 0.85 | 1.44 |
| Jonny Brodzinski | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:27 | 0.08 | 1.07 |
| Vincent Trocheck | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:13 | 0.15 | 0.81 |
| Mika Zibanejad | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23:00 | 0.21 | 0.76 |
| Vladislav Gavrikov | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21:55 | 0.09 | 0.36 |
| Adam Fox | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23:10 | 0.13 | 0.29 |
| Adam Sykora | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:16 | 0.00 | 0.27 |
| Drew Fortescue | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:01 | 0.02 | 0.25 |
| Matthew Robertson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:36 | 0.01 | 0.20 |
| Alexis Lafrenière | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20:17 | 0.40 | 0.19 |
| Jaroslav Chmelar | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:04 | 0.03 | 0.05 |
| Gabe Perreault | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:32 | 0.00 | -0.03 |
| Braden Schneider | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:16 | 0.06 | -0.10 |
| Noah Laba | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:05 | 0.12 | -0.17 |
| Will Borgen | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:47 | 0.03 | -0.21 |
| Conor Sheary | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:29 | 0.45 | -0.35 |
| Tye Kartye | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:50 | 0.04 | -0.50 |
| J.T. Miller | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:40 | 0.15 | -0.69 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Fowler | Montréal Canadiens | 22 | 24 | 91.7% | 0.82 | W |
| Igor Shesterkin | New York Rangers | 22 | 25 | 88.0% | -0.71 | L |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the New York Rangers 3–2 on Apr 02, 2026, a one-goal game.
New York Rangers generated 3.27 expected goals to Montréal Canadiens's 2.74 — New York Rangers owned the better of the chances but Montréal Canadiens took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Cole Caufield led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.22 on 2 goals, 7 shots on goal.
Jacob Fowler stopped 22 of 24, worth 0.82 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Montréal Canadiens vs New York Rangers game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the New York Rangers 3–2 on Apr 02, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Montréal Canadiens 3, New York Rangers 2.
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 2.22, on 2G, 0A and 7 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
New York Rangers generated 3.27 expected goals and Montréal Canadiens generated 2.74, so New York Rangers created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Montréal Canadiens put 25 shots on goal and New York Rangers put 24. High-danger chances went 11 to 13.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jacob Fowler stopped 22 of 24 (0.82 goals saved above expected); Igor Shesterkin stopped 22 of 25 (-0.71 goals saved above expected).