Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders: how did Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský turn a special-teams swing at Bell Centre?

The Montreal Canadiens moved to 38-21 with 7 points, and the New York Islanders slid to 39-26 with 3 points, as Montreal took it 7-3 at Bell Centre. Montreal Canadiens vs New York Islanders final score framed a game where the Habs finished with 7 goals on 36 shots while the Isles produced 3 goals on 22 shots. The Canadiens also matched the Islanders with 26 faceoffs won apiece on 52 draws, and Montreal’s power play produced 3 goals on 4 opportunities while New York’s power play scored 2 goals on 3 opportunities.

First period

The Montreal Canadiens opened the scoring with 1 goal in the first period while the New York Islanders struck for 2 goals in the first period. The Islanders logged 34 hits in the game, and that physical edge showed early while Montreal finished with 25 hits. The Canadiens goaltender earned the win with 19 saves on 22 shots against, while the Islanders goaltending line ended with 29 saves on 36 shots against and a loss.

Second period

The Montreal Canadiens flipped the game with 2 goals in the second period while the New York Islanders were held to 0 goals in the second period. The Canadiens’ special teams added separation as Montreal went 3-for-4 on the power play, and New York answered with a 2-for-3 night with the man advantage. Montreal’s shooting rate finished at 19 percent on 36 shots, and New York finished at 14 percent on 22 shots.

Third period

The Montreal Canadiens broke it open with 4 goals in the third period while the New York Islanders scored 1 goal in the third period. Cole Caufield, named the 1st star, came off the previous game with 3 goals on 3 shots and followed this one as a featured finisher in a 7-goal team outburst. Juraj Slafkovský, the 2nd star, carried over from his previous game line of 4 points and remained central to Montreal’s scoring pace as the Canadiens piled up 20 points as a team. Kaiden Guhle, the 3rd star, built on his previous game of 3 points while Montreal’s even-strength group produced 4 goals and 27 shots at 5-on-5. The Canadiens also recorded 4 takeaways while the Islanders had 3 takeaways, and the puck-pressure battle included 13 Montreal giveaways against 11 by New York in the full match report context of special-teams finishing.

Postgame notes

The Canadiens’ penalty kill allowed 2 power-play goals on 3 New York chances, and Montreal still won with 3 power-play goals on 4 opportunities at the other end. The Islanders blocked 11 shots while the Canadiens blocked 18 shots, and that difference showed up as Montreal kept volume in the offensive zone with 36 shots. Montreal Canadiens coach post-game reaction centered on a game sheet where Montreal’s plus-minus finished at 15 while New York’s finished at -15, and the Canadiens vs Isles final thoughts started with the 4-goal third period that put the result out of reach.

The Montreal Canadiens next game is scheduled at 7:00 PM EDT on 3/24/2026 at Bell Centre in Montreal against the Carolina Hurricanes, with viewing available on ESPN+ and FDSSO. Keep it locked on the Habs, and share this article with other Canadiens fans looking for a Montreal Canadiens vs New York Islanders full match report recap.