Cole Caufield's hat trick leads Habs' demolition of Islanders

Cole Caufield had a hat trick and finished with five points, and the Canadiens beat the New York Islanders 7-3 in Montreal on Saturday night

It was the first career five-point game for Caufield, who has 43 goals on the season.

Juraj Slafkovsky had two goals and two assists for his first career four-point game, and Kaiden Guhle had a goal and two assists for the Canadiens (38-21-10, 86 points). Nick Suzuki had four assists and Jacob Fowler made 19 saves.

Emil Heineman, Simon Holmstrom and Matthew Schaefer scored for the Islanders (39-26-5, 83 points). Ilya Sorokin allowed six goals on 32 shots before being lifted in the third period.

Slafkovsky gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead at 4:10 of the first period when he scored on a one-timer from the slot off a pass from Suzuki during a power play.

Heineman tied it 1-1 at 6:46, getting to a loose puck in the left circle on the rush and beating Fowler far side on a power play.

Holmstrom gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead at 13:19, scoring on a breakaway when he deked around Fowler before sliding the puck home.

The Canadiens regained the lead with a pair of goals late in the second period.

Alex Newhook tied the game when he scored on a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle at 17:49.

Caufield gave the Canadiens a 3-2 lead at 19:08. He took a return pass from Suzuki along the goal line and lifted a shot over Sorokin's right shoulder.

Schaefer tied it 3-3 just 45 seconds into the third period, scoring a power-play goal on a one-timer from the center point off a return pass from Mathew Barzal.

The Canadiens regained the lead at 3:17 when Guhle scored on slap shot through traffic from the center point.

Slafkovsky made it 5-3 at 8:08 when he scored on a one-timer from the low slot off a pass from Caufield behind the net.

Caufield pushed the lead to 6-3 when he scored from the slot off a pass from Slafkovsky in the right circle at 11:20.

Caufield capped the hat trick with a goal on a 2-on-1 rush at 14:59 for the 7-3 final.

--Field Level Media