The New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens will meet in an important Eastern Conference matchup in the NHL on Thursday night. Both teams are restarting their seasons after the Olympic break in this game and will try to make an early statement that they are ready to move closer to a playoff berth. Who will restart their season with a win? I’ll try and answer that question here with my Islanders vs Canadiens prediction.
Our Islanders vs Canadiens Pick
Pick:
Confidence: 3 out of 5
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: New York Islanders vs Montreal Canadiens
- Date & Time: Thursday, February 26, 2026, 7:00 PM Eastern
- Venue: Bell Centre, Montréal, Québec
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
The Canadiens enter this game with a strong offensive resume, ranking third in the NHL in goals per game at 3.46, while the Islanders’ offense is more middle of the pack at 2.84 goals per game. Montreal’s power play, near the top third of the league, gives them an added advantage in special teams, in contrast to the Islanders who sit near the bottom of the NHL in that category. Defensively, the Islanders are among the league’s stingiest in goals against per game, which could make it harder for Montreal to break through consistently.
Recent Form
The Islanders went into the break with two straight wins and will try to build on those results now that they are back on the ice. Montreal won four of its final five games before the Olympics, and a win here would be huge for their confidence going into the final stretch of the regular season.
Goaltending
On the Islanders side, Ilya Sorokin has been solid this season with a save percentage north of .910 and a goals against average of 2.44, offering New York a reliable last line of defense. Montreal’s goaltending tandem has seen mixed results, with Jakub Dobes posting a save percentage below .900 and Sam Montembeault not playing much better. The Isles should have the advantage in net in this matchup.
Key Skaters
Islanders rely heavily on Mathew Barzal’s creativity and Bo Horvat’s scoring, while Montreal’s lineup features Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield as dynamic offensive catalysts. Montreal’s depth beyond their top duo also contributes to their goal output, which could be the difference if the Islanders struggle to generate consistent offense. But there will be questions here about which Olympians will participate in this game as they return from Milan.
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the first of three games that these teams will play against each other during the finals months of the regular season.
- New York is 16-11-3 on the road this year.
- Montreal enters Thursday night with a 16-11-1 home record this season.
Islanders vs Canadiens Model Projection
Score Projection:
Win Probability:
Final Thoughts
