The rds turned decisive in New York on Sunday as the Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Islanders 4-1, ending the Islanders’ push for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Nick Suzuki reached 100 points in the win, and Montreal’s late second-period burst broke the game open. The result left the Islanders officially eliminated from playoff contention after a regulation loss on home ice.
Canadiens strike late and take control
Montreal needed a result in New York, and the Canadiens got it with a strong finish that changed the game in a matter of seconds. The key stretch came late in the second period, when Montreal scored three goals in 55 seconds to pull away from the Islanders and seal the result.
Nick Suzuki opened the scoring surge with his 29th goal of the season and his 100th point, becoming the first Canadiens player to reach that mark since Mats Naslund in 1986. Suzuki then added point 101 by setting up Ivan Demidov for his 19th goal of the year. Lane Hutson also added to the night with his second assist of the game, moving to 66 assists on the season.
The scoring sequence also included a goal from David Reinbacher, who made his NHL debut in the matchup after Noah Dobson was ruled out for at least two weeks. Montreal’s attack kept building, and the final margin reflected how quickly the game slipped away from New York.
rds and the Islanders’ season comes to a close
The rds result closed the door on a season that had once looked more promising for the Islanders. After sitting third in the Metropolitan Division for the first few weeks after the Olympic break, New York faded badly, losing nine of its past 15 games, all in regulation. A four-game losing skid pushed general manager Mathieu Darche to replace head coach Patrick Roy with Pete DeBoer, but the turnaround never came fast enough.
For the Islanders, the elimination is the third time in the past five years that they have missed the postseason. Ilya Sorokin was in net again as Montreal found ways through, while the team failed to generate enough support in front of him when the season tightened.
Immediate reactions and what stood out
Mats Naslund, former Canadiens player, was part of the recognition around Suzuki’s 100-point night. Nick Suzuki, Canadiens forward, used the opportunity to extend a season that has become one of the club’s defining stories.
Lane Hutson, Canadiens defenseman, continues to build a case that has him in the same conversation as notable Montreal blue-line seasons. Guhle, Canadiens defenseman, returned to the lineup and handled heavy minutes, adding another layer to Montreal’s depth in a game that mattered for both standings and confidence.
What comes next for both teams
For Montreal, the win keeps the Canadiens in the fight for home-ice advantage in the first round, and the momentum from a decisive road performance should carry into the final stretch. For New York, the focus turns to the immediate aftermath of elimination and the questions that follow a season that began with hope and ended with rds and a blank postseason path.
