BELMONT PARK, N.Y. (Interstat) — Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist to surpass 100 points for the season, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Sunday at UBS Arena. The loss mathematically eliminated the Islanders from Stanley Cup playoff contention. Suzuki, Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook scored in a three-goal second period for Montreal. After the Islanders’ Casey Cizikas scored in the third, Zachary Bolduc added an empty-net goal. Goaltender Jacob Fowler made 30 saves for the Canadiens, who improved to 48-33 and continue pursuing home-ice advantage in the opening playoff round. New York fell to 43-38.

ELMONT PARK, N.Y. (Interstat) — Nick Suzuki reached a personal milestone and in the process helped deliver a final blow to the New York Islanders’ playoff hopes. Suzuki had a goal and an assist to surpass the 100-point mark for the season, and the Montreal Canadiens scored three times in the second period to pull away for a 4-1 victory over the Islanders on Sunday at UBS Arena. The loss mathematically eliminated the Islanders from postseason contention. Montreal, meanwhile, strengthened its push for home-ice advantage in the opening round and a potential Atlantic Division title, improving to 48-33-0. Suzuki, the Canadiens’ captain from London, Ontario, became the first Montreal player to hit the century mark in a season since the 1992-93 campaign. He opened the scoring late in the second period and later assisted on Ivan Demidov’s goal. Jacob Fowler was stellar in net for Montreal, stopping 30 shots. Defenseman Lane Hutson, the diminutive rookie from North Barrington, Illinois, orchestrated the offense from the back end with three assists. The game was a tight, physical affair through a scoreless first period. The Islanders controlled much of the early play, outshooting Montreal 12-8, but Fowler and his counterpart, Ilya Sorokin, were perfect. The physical tone was set early with Montreal’s Zachary Bolduc delivering several heavy hits, including two on Islanders forward Casey Cizikas. The stalemate broke at the 10:56 mark of the second period. On a power play resulting from a high-sticking penalty against New York’s Matthew Schaefer, Suzuki collected a pass from Juraj Slafkovsky at the top of the circle and wired a wrist shot past Sorokin for his 29th goal of the season. Hutson earned the secondary assist. Just over a minute later, Suzuki and Hutson connected again to set up Demidov. The Russian winger took a cross-ice pass from Suzuki and snapped a quick shot from the slot for his 19th goal, doubling the lead at 12:24. Montreal struck once more before the period ended. Just 27 seconds after Demidov’s goal, Alex Newhook finished off a passing sequence from Bolduc and David Reinbacher, beating Sorokin with a wrist shot to make it 3-0. The three-goal outburst in a span of 1:55 effectively decided the contest. The Islanders, now 43-38-0, showed a push in the third period. Cizikas broke Fowler’s shutout bid at 4:45, converting a rebound after a point shot from Ryan Pulock for his 10th goal of the season. Any hope of a comeback was extinguished when Bolduc restored Montreal’s three-goal cushion with just over two minutes remaining. The center from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, took a feed from Newhook and buried his 12th goal of the year at 17:45 to seal the 4-1 final. Sorokin made 18 saves on 22 shots in the loss for New York. The Canadiens’ defensive structure and Fowler’s composure were the story after the first period. Montreal limited high-danger chances and blocked 22 shots, with Jayden Struble leading the way with four. The Islanders, who entered the game having lost four of their last five, could not solve Fowler with any consistency despite a 31-22 edge in total shots. The result continued a recent trend of dominance for Montreal in the season series, having outscored New York 14-5 over their last two meetings, including a 7-3 win on March 21. Montreal continues its road trip in Philadelphia on Tuesday. The Islanders, now playing for pride, will close their season at home against Carolina, also on Tuesday. The outcome defied the pregame projection from National Statistical’s game simulator, which had predicted a 4-3 Islanders victory. The total of five goals fell under the over/under line of 6.5.

Preview: Canadiens, Islanders Meet in Key Late-Season Matchup BELMONT PARK, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders, teams heading in opposite directions down the stretch, will face off Sunday at UBS Arena in a late-season NHL clash with potential playoff implications. The Canadiens (47-32-0) arrive riding a wave of momentum, having won eight of their last 10 games. They are coming off a 2-1 home victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. A key driver of their success has been forward Juraj Slafkovsky, who has recorded three goals and seven assists in his last 10 contests. He had a goal and an assist in the win over Tampa Bay. Conversely, the Islanders (43-37-0) have stumbled, losing five of their last six games. They were shut out 3-0 by the Ottawa Senators at home on Saturday. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin, a player to watch for New York, has faced heavy recent workloads, including a 40-save performance in a loss to Carolina on April 4. He allowed three goals on 15 shots in the loss to Ottawa. The season series is tied, with each team winning on home ice. The Islanders earned a 4-3 overtime victory in Montreal on Feb. 26, but the Canadiens responded with a decisive 7-3 win when the teams last met on March 21. Montreal’s recent surge has been marked by strong goaltending and timely scoring, with Jakub Dobes making 17 saves in Thursday’s win. The Islanders, struggling to find consistent offense, will need to solve a Canadiens team that has allowed two or fewer goals in four of its last five victories. According to National Statistical’s game simulator, the projected final score is Islanders 4, Canadiens 3. Following this game, Montreal will travel to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. The Islanders will host the Carolina Hurricanes on the same night.