New York Islanders vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction, 2/26/2026 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: New York Islanders vs Montreal Canadiens

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026

Location: Bell Centre in Montreal, QC

TV: TSN2

The Montreal Canadiens (32-17-8) will take on the New York Islanders (32-21-5) at Bell Centre on Thursday.

The New York Islanders will head into their next game feeling good after earning a 3-1 victory against the Devils in their last outing. New York had 2 minutes in the box in this matchup. Moreover, they had 1 power play opportunity but didn't convert it into a score. The Islanders offense showed they have some room for improvement in the win. While out there on the ice, they tallied a score on 3 of the 14 shots they attempted.

When at even strength, the Islanders let the opposition score 129 goals while having 138 on the offensive side of the ice. New York Islanders opponents have 159 power play opportunities (22nd in the NHL) and have earned 28 goals in those attempts. In relation to their scoring capabilities, the New York Islanders have tallied 165 goals (22nd in hockey) so far this season and have allowed 157. New York has tried 1,592 shots and is the owner of a shot percentage of 10.4%. For the current season, they have accumulated 69 points and their points percentage comes in at .595. The Islanders have had 1,619 shots taken against them and are the owners of a save percentage of .903. New York has accumulated 172 power play chances and they have tallied 27 goals out of those attempts, garnering them a rate of 15.70%.

The man in net for this game is Ilya Sorokin. From the beginning of his pro career to now, Sorokin has tallied 184 quality starts and his quality starts percentage is .650. His save percentage currently is at .916 for his 13,496 minutes on the ice. Sorokin has had 8,573 shots taken against him and has recorded 7,854 saves. Opponents have tallied 719 goals against Sorokin in his career and his goals against average per contest is 2.54. He has an overall mark of 145-102-38 and he has started in 283 games. Sorokin has been involved in 288 matchups throughout his professional hockey career.

When they took the ice last, Montreal went up against the Jets in a game where the Canadiens earned a victory by a tally of 5-1. They had 2 power play attempts in this outing and tallied 1 out of those tries. The Canadiens netted 5 goals of the 27 shots on goal they tried.

Montreal has attempted 1,496 shots (24th in professional hockey) and has a shot percentage of 13.17%, while allowing the opposition 1,559 shots. They have recorded a penalty kill percentage of 76.88% on the other teams 186 power play opportunities, and their save percentage is 88.3%. They have a total of 163 chances on the power play and they have earned a power play percentage of 23.93%. The Canadiens have earned 158 goals at even strength and 39 goals (10th in professional hockey) while on the power play. They have permitted 183 goals to be scored by of a combination of 140 goals at even strength and 43 goals while they were shorthanded. During this campaign, the Montreal Canadiens have earned a total of 197 goals, 72 points, and a points percentage of .632.

For the opposition you will find Jakub Dobes protecting the net. His opponents are averaging 2.85 goals per game and he has allowed 117 goals altogether. Dobes' rate of quality starts is 53.7% and he has made 22 quality starting assignments in his pro career. He was named a starter in 41 contests and has played for a total of 913 minutes. Dobes has accrued a career mark of 25-9-7 and has been in net for 43 games. He is sitting with 1,033 saves out of the 1,150 shots attempted against him, which gives him a save percentage of .898.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy's Pick: Take Montreal

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