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Canadiens 4, Islanders 1: Game over.
TL;DR
The Montreal Canadiens defeated the New York Islanders 4-1 on April 12, 2026, with Nick Suzuki celebrating his 100th point of the season. The Islanders' recent struggles have led to the dismissal of coach Patrick Roy and the hiring of Peter DeBoer to improve their playoff chances.
ELMONT, NEW YORK - APRIL 12: Nick Suzuki #14 of the Montréal Canadiens celebrates his goal and 100th point of the season at 15:46 of the second period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on April 12, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just over a month ago, the New York Islanders were comfortably in a playoff spot. Even after a rough road trip out to California, a concerning stretch for sure, it still didnât seem like the season was in any real peril. And thenâŠ
Everyone else in the Metro started surging while the Islanders floundered, going 7-10 to this point, including losing 6 of their last 7 games. The scoring went cold, while the defense fell apart and Ilya Sorokin started to look mortal, his Vezina bid likely slipping away in the process.
And all of that led to Patrick Royâs dismissal. Mathieu Darche brought in Peter DeBoer with eyes towards next season. If everything worked out, heâd right the ship, go 4-0 in these games, and the Isles would earn a playoff bid in Matthew Schaeferâs first season.
That didnât happen, though, and now Darche, DeBoer, and the Islanders will have a long offseason to start to set this team up for long-term success. That will probably be without some long time Islanders, but with an aging core and young talent along the way (Bridgeport made the AHL playoffs!), itâs time to make some difficult decisions.
[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]
First Period
Anthony Duclair came into the lineup for Ondrej Palat, and hopefully that was a hint that Palat wonât be part of this team going forward.
The Islanders went to an early power play after Josh Anderson was called for high sticking Carson Soucy, but unsurprisingly, they couldnât convert on the power play. Jacob Fowler made a good save on Kyle MacLean after the power play expired.
Mat Barzal put a shot off Fowlerâs mask, which was the other big chance for the Islanders that period.
Then, Emil Heineman was called for tripping Ivan Demidov, and on that power play, Juraj Slafkovsky whiffed in front of an empty net, and Ilya Sorokin made a big save on Nick Suzuki, the sharpest heâs looked in a few games now.
Second Period
Anthony Duclair shot the puck high over the net while pressured in front.
Scott Mayfield was boarded by Arber Xhekaj, with no call for that. Brayden Schenn came in on Xhekaj, and both of them got roughing penalties. Neither team converted on the 4 on 4, but Mayfield left the game after that hit.
He did return a few minutes later.
Anderson got a breakaway but missed high.
Nick Suzuki then scored to make it 1-0 for the Canadiens. On that play, Matthew Schaefer took a four minute double minor for high sticking, so the Canadiens also picked up a two-minute power play after that as well. And on that power play, Demidov made it 2-0.
And then Alex Newhook made it 3-0 less than 30 seconds later.
Xhekaj was called for roughing, sending the Islanders to the power play, which would continue on into the third period.
Third Period
The Canadiens killed that power play despite one good look from the Islanders.
With 11 minutes left, Casey Cizikas tipped a Mayfield shot past Fowler to make it 3-1.
That gave the Islanders some life, but they couldnât get anything past Fowler before pulling Sorokin for the extra skater. They couldnât convert with the net empty, and then Zack Bolduc scored late with Sorokin back in to make it 4-1.
Up Next
Next, the New York Islanders will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, April 14, the last game of the season and Fan Appreciation Night. All eyes will be on whether Matthew Schaefer will break Brian Leetchâs rookie scoring record.
Q&A
What was the final score of the Canadiens vs Islanders game on April 12, 2026?
The final score was Canadiens 4, Islanders 1.
Why was Patrick Roy dismissed as head coach of the New York Islanders?
Patrick Roy was dismissed due to the team's poor performance, going 7-10 in their last games and losing 6 of their last 7.
Who replaced Patrick Roy as head coach of the New York Islanders?
Peter DeBoer was brought in to replace Patrick Roy as head coach of the New York Islanders.
What milestone did Nick Suzuki achieve during the game against the Islanders?
Nick Suzuki celebrated his 100th point of the season during the game against the Islanders.
