First period
- There’s a loud “Go Habs Go!” chant to begin the game and the Canadiens are responding to the energy of their travelling fans.
- It looks like they’re going to treat Matthew Schaefer the same way they handled Darren Raddysh when they faced the Tampa Bay Lightning, giving him no space to work with at the blue line.
- Josh Anderson gets his stick into the face of Carson Soucy and goes to the box. We’ll see what the penalty-killing defence duos are.
- Mike Matheson and a returning Kaiden Guhle to start. Guhle gets the clear, out comes Hutson to join Matheson. Guhle and Xhekaj are on to finish the PK.
- One easy save for Jacob Fowler in those two minutes.
- David Reinbacher gets his first shot on a dangerous shift featuring the top line.
- Both Ivan Demidov and Zachary Bolduc look good in this game, Demidov using his hands and feet to open up space, Bolduc using his body to win puck battles.
- This game has felt a lot more even than the 7-3 shot disparity, but that could just be Fowler’s perfect positioning making everything in Montreal’s end look easy.
- It’s Montreal’s turn to get a power play with Emil Heineman in the box for tripping. They scored one power-play goal last night, so getting one in back-to-back games would be good to see.
- Nick Suzuki sends a perfect pass across the crease to Juraj Slafkovský, but Slafkovský stuffs the puck into the side of the net.
- The shots are now even after an eventful power play.
- Phillip Danault goes in on a two-on-one with Jake Evans. He passes the puck to Evans, but doesn’t remain a shooting option for his linemate and Evans’s return feed surprises him. With Ilya Sorokin sliding over to cover Evans and unable to recover, that would have been the opening goal into a gaping net.
- A solid end to the period that saw Montreal outshoot the Islanders 10-8, but the score would be 2-0 if a couple of perfect setups were converted.
Second period
- Arber Xhekaj’s hit on Scott Mayfield sends the Islanders defenceman hard into the boards, and Brayden Schenn comes over to defend him teammate. Both Xhekaj and Schenn are given roughing minors, and the game will be played at four-on-four.
- The Islanders think they have a scoring chance when Anders Lee accepts the puck flying down the wing. Fowler informs them that they do not.
- A good backcheck from Bolduc allows him to intercept the puck and begin the counter-attack.
- Reinbacher watches the members of the second line scrum the puck behind his net, and swoops in at the right second to scoop up the puck and skate out of the zone. He’s looked confident so far.
- Alexandre Texier gets the puck in the slot, but Sorokin makes the leg save on a shot that was meant to go low-blocker.
- I have to say, this doesn’t look like an Islanders team desperate to get at least one point from this game. Maybe it wasn’t the coach after all.
- Anderson gets a breakaway, and tries to be too perfect with his shot and sends it high. Sorokin will do that to you.
- Jayden Struble flies down the wing and fires a shot with a bit better aim, but it goes off the crossbar.
- Juraj Slafkovský picks up the puck on the right half-wall, and carries it all the way around the top of the zone to below the left circle. He sends it to the crease, and Suzuki pounds it in for his 100th point of the season.
ONE HUNDRED POINTS FOR NICK SUZUKI
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 8:32 PM
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- Caufield took a high stick from Schaefer just before the goal was scored,
- With the power play, Suzuki accepts a pass from Lane Hutson and slings it across to Demidov. Demidov doesn’t get all of the one-timer (a point of emphasis for his off-season training), but enough to give his captain a 101st point.
101 points for Nick Suzuki and I believe Lane Hutson just tied Guy Lapointe for a single season scoring by a D too 2-0 habs
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 8:36 PM
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- Hutson collected assist number 66 on the play,
- The announcer doesn’t even have time to announce the second goal before Newhook makes it 3-0 by going far side while speeding into the Islanders’ zone on a two-on-one.
Alex Newhook makes it 3-0…First NHL point for David Reinbacher as well?
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 8:37 PM
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- David Reinbacher started the play, and will collect his first NHL point (even if they originally gave it to Xhekaj).
- Xhekaj goes to the box for roughing to give the Islanders a chance to avoid a few boos when the horn sounds.
- No goal for the home side. The boos rain down, trying to drown the “Olés” the Habs fans are signing at the same time.
Third period
- New York didn’t really push to capitalize on the final minute or so of their power play. I think they’re ready for this season to be over, which it will be unless they score three more goals than Montreal in the next 19 minutes.
- Bolduc may have saved a goal with a last-second defensive play on a puck headed past Fowler’s foot. He’s been good.
- Things get a little bit loose in front of the net, so Fowler pounces on the puck to get a whistle.
- Fowler has a shot spill off his pad, but just a foot or so, and he secures that for a whistle as well. He’s making sure the Islanders don’t see any long periods of momentum.
- Twelve minutes to play. The old coach would be thinking about pulling Sorokin right about now. When does the new guy make that choice?
- DeBoer can wait a bit longer now, because Casey Cizikas tipped the puck past Fowler to break the shutout and make it a 3-1 game.
- The second line helps to break the pressure with a shift deep in the Islanders’ zone.
- Bolduc again closes his man down in the neutral zone and steals the puck away. He’s ready for the playoffs.
- Evans has the puck in the offensive zone 25 feet from the empty net and misses. He raises his arms is disbelief.
- With less than a minute to go, the top line is on the ice looking to get Caufield another goal. It is a short shift, however.
- Bolduc adds a little more insult with a goal in the dying seconds. He deserved a tangible reward for his play.
- The horn sounds on a 4-1 win for Montreal.
- With the loss, the Islanders’ season is done. It’s down to a three-team race for the third spot in the Metropolitan Division, and the Canadiens will play the team that currently holds it, the Philadelphia Flyers, on Tuesday to cap their regular-season schedule.
- Now tied for the highest point total in the Atlantic, the Canadiens will be aiming for home-ice advantage as well.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) The good news is there’s no player or style he can’t work with
2) What could have been for #11
1) One last historic one to add to the celebration
