Tomas Plekanec and Benoit Pouliot each scored two goals as the Montreal Canadiens downed a thin New York Islanders split-squad 7-2 on Saturday night before a full house of 15,077 at the Pepsi Colisee.
The win may be costly if further discipline is handed to Canadiens winger Michael Cammalleri, who was ejected at 16:52 of the second period for a hard slash to the ankle of Islanders' prospect Nino Niederreiter. The 18-year-old Swiss forward limped off the ice and did not return.
Cammalleri, who had two points, P.K. Subban and Lars Eller also scored for Montreal (4-3-0) in its final pre-season game. Plekanec, who also had an assist, led the team with six goals and two assists in four exhibition games.
Jon Sim and Jesse Joensuu scored for New York (0-4).
It was nominally the Islanders' home game, but the Canadiens wore their red home jerseys and had the crowd on its side for a mostly one-sided game.
Carey Price was sharp on the few dangerous Islanders chances.
The Islanders sent a B-team that was without top players like John Tavares, Matt Moulson, Dean McAmmond and Josh Bailey, who played in the club's other split-squad game, a 2-1 win against the New Jersey Devils.
But the Isles had some of their best prospects on hand, including defencemen Travis Hamonic and Niederreiter, the fifth overall pick in the June draft who worked a give-and-go with Sim on New York's only goal at 10:55 of the first period.
Tic-tac-toe passing from Andrei Kostitsyn to Plekanec to Cammalleri produced the first goal at 3:25 and a turnover let Jeff Halpern set up Pouliot for a goal 1:30 later.
After Sim's goal, Subban and Plekanec each beat Manny Legace on power plays - a sign of progress for a team that was 3-for-37 going into the game.
Plekanec scored again 2:42 into the third on the first shot against Mikko Koskinen, Pouliot added another on a power play at 13:28 and rookie Eller got his first as a Canadien as he beat Koskinen with a wrist shot at 16:48.
Joensuu beat price from the slot with 1:20 left to play
Notes: It was a big day for hockey as thousands marched in Quebec City in support of a new arena they hope will bring back the defunct Nordiques. Several former Nords were on hand, including brothers Peter, Marian and Anton Stastny as well as Michel Goulet. . . The Canadiens left after the game for Malbaie, Que., for four days of bonding before the regular season. . . The Canadiens had a nearly full lineup, missing only Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez.