Faceoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM ET
Venue: UBS Arena, Elmont, NY
TV/Streaming: MSGSN (Islanders), TSN2 / RDS (Canadiens), ESPN+
2025-26 NHL Regular Season – Final Stretch Metropolitan / Atlantic Crossover (Penultimate Game for Both)
Team Records & Standings Context
The Canadiens enter as the No. 3 team in the Atlantic Division (tied with Tampa Bay at 104 points) and have already clinched a playoff berth. They sit comfortably in the Eastern Conference top-4 conversation with a strong 23-8-8 road record, though they are on the back end of a back-to-back after a 5-2 home loss to Columbus on Saturday.
The Islanders are in 6th place in the Metropolitan Division with 91 points and are squarely in the Eastern wild-card fight. They trail the third-place Flyers (94 pts) by three points, sit one point behind Columbus (92 pts), and are tied with Washington (91 pts) — with the Capitals holding the tiebreaker edge. A regulation loss here (combined with other results) would officially eliminate them from postseason contention. They have just two games left in the regular season.
Recent Team Form
Canadiens (last 5-10 games): 8-2-0 in their last 10 overall but coming off a 5-2 loss to CBJ on April 11. Recent results include a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay (April 9), a 4-3 SO victory vs. Florida (April 7), and a 3-0 shutout loss to New Jersey (April 5). Montreal continues to score at a high rate (3.43 GPG) while ranking among the league leaders in blocked shots and fewest giveaways.
Islanders (recent form): 4-6-0 in their last 10 and coming off a disappointing 3-0 shutout home loss to Ottawa on April 11. They have shown flashes of competitiveness (wins over Toronto, Florida, Dallas in the stretch) but have struggled to find consistency in a tight playoff race. New York averages 2.87 GPG and 2.87 GA/GP with solid special teams (17.2% PP / 81.1% PK).
Injury Report
Canadiens:
Noah Dobson (D) – DTD (thumb; left Saturday’s game early; former Islander returning to UBS Arena for first time since trade)
Alexandre Carrier (D) – OUT (upper body; expected return April 14)
Patrik Laine (RW) – IR (abdomen)
Montreal’s blue line is already thinned; Dobson’s availability is a major question mark for this road contest.
Islanders:
Long-term absences include Pierre Engvall (LW, IR-LT), Alexander Romanov (D, IR), and others from earlier in the season (e.g., Kyle Palmieri season-ending).
No new major injuries reported beyond the grind of the playoff push; Mathew Barzal is active in recent lineups.
Ilya Sorokin is expected to start (and potentially back-to-back if needed).
Projected Lineups & Key Player Matchups
Islanders (projected, based on April 11 vs. OTT – subject to final tweaks):
Forwards: Anders Lee – Bo Horvat – Simon Holmstrom; Brayden Schenn – Mathew Barzal – Cal Ritchie; Ondrej Palat – JG Pageau – Emil Heineman; Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb
Defense: Matthew Schaefer – Ryan Pulock; Adam Pelech – Tony DeAngelo; Carson Soucy – Scott Mayfield
Goalies: Ilya Sorokin (expected starter) / David Rittich
Key assets: Sorokin’s reliability in must-win spots, Barzal/Horvat chemistry, and a physical shutdown defense.
Canadiens (projected, based on recent games – Dobson status pending):
Forwards: Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky; Alex Newhook / Ivan Demidov / others – Oliver Kapanen – (rotating); Josh Anderson – Jake Evans – (depth); Joe Veleno / Phillip Danault line
Defense: Mike Matheson – (Dobson if healthy); Jayden Struble – Lane Hutson; Adam Engstrom / Arber Xhekaj pairings
Goalies: Jakub Dobes (likely) / Jacob Fowler
Key assets: NHL’s second-leading goal scorer Cole Caufield (51 goals), Nick Suzuki (99 pts), and Lane Hutson (76 pts as a rookie D).
Notable Matchups:
Islanders’ top shutdown pairs vs. Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky (Caufield had 5 pts in the March 21 meeting).
Sorokin vs. Montreal’s high-octane offense.
Special teams: Canadiens 23.2% PP / 78.0% PK; Islanders lean on home penalty kill.
Series History
The teams are tied 1-1-0 in the 2025-26 season: Islanders won 4-3 OT on Feb. 26 (at MTL); Canadiens won 7-3 on March 21 (at MTL). This is the third and final regular-season meeting. Montreal has historically owned the all-time series, but 2025-26 has been competitive with high-event games.
Betting Trends
Islanders: Strong at home in desperate spots; 3-2 in last 5 but 4-6-0 last 10 overall.
Canadiens: 9-1-0 or 8-2-0 in recent 10-game stretches; Over has hit frequently in their high-scoring games, but back-to-back fatigue is real.
Road/underdog: MTL performs well away; Islanders are 4-0 in last 4 as home underdogs of +110 to +150 in similar spots.
Game Odds
Montréal Canadiens 6.5
New York Islanders` – 110
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, April 11, 2026
