Islanders rout Canucks in perhaps their most complete game of season
Islanders' Scott Mayfield celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Vancouver Canucks during second-period NHL hockey game action in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. Credit: AP/Rich Lam
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — In the end, there was no drama. No blown leads. The Islanders’ early statistical domination in shots and puck possession translated into their most complete effort of the season.
“I think so,” Anders Lee said. “We felt in control. We felt good with everything even when they had good zone time and good shots.”
That mostly came in the third period as the Islanders shrugged aside allowing an early goal and recorded a methodical 5-2 win over the Canucks on Thursday night at Rogers Arena, stretching their season-best point streak to five games (3-0-2) and earning only their fourth regulation win.
Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves for the Islanders (7-6-4) after facing only six shots over the first two periods.
“You know you haven’t played a whole lot in your zone,” defenseman Grant Hutton said. “We had to finish that game out. It was super-important to our group and super-important for this road trip.”
The Islanders entered the final period with a 3-1 lead and never let the Canucks (8-4-3) get close. Lee, with a goal and an assist, had his third multi-point performance in four games. Former Canucks captain Bo Horvat had two assists and called beating his former team for the first time in four tries since being acquired on Jan. 30, 2023 “special.” Hutton had the first two assists of his NHL career and Pierre Engvall had his first goal of the season.
“We played really well,” coach Patrick Roy said. “It felt like the guys were confident.
“Tonight, it was a huge team effort. Everybody played really well. It’s hard for me to single out anybody because everybody played real solid. Defensively. Offensively. Goaltender. We were on the puck sharp. Good forecheck.”
The Islanders opened this five-game road trip with a 4-3 overtime loss in Edmonton on Tuesday, needing two late goals from Lee and 38 saves from goalie Ilya Sorokin to steal a point.
“That’s a big response game for us,” Hutton said. “We weren’t happy with the way we played in Edmonton; we were able to squeak a point out there. We knew tonight we needed to start on time. I felt like we did that for the most part. We were disciplined and stayed out of the penalty box. A big power-play goal. I think everyone feels pretty good about our game tonight.”
The Canucks’ Jonathan Lekkerimaki, with his first NHL goal, opened the scoring on the game’s first shot at 2:40 of the first period, but the Islanders held a 24-6 shot advantage after two periods.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s power-play goal off Lee’s feed tied it at 1-1 at 17:23 of the first period and defenseman Scott Mayfield’s soft shot from the right point deflected in off a stick to make it 2-1 only 14 seconds into the second period.
That became 3-1 as Engvall slammed in the rebound of Simon Holmstrom’s initial shot off goalie Kevin Lankinen (27 saves).
Lee extended that to 4-1 at the crease at 11:42 of the third period after Horvat sped past defenseman Quinn Hughes along the right wall.
Defenseman Noah Dobson added an empty-netter at 17:54 before defenseman Tyler Myers scored with the Canucks skating six-on-five at 18:34.
“To finally get rewarded for playing the right way, it definitely feels nice,” Horvat said.
Notes & quotes: Matt Martin had his first fight of the season, dropping the gloves with defenseman Vincent Desharnais at 14:03 of the second period . . . The six shots the Islanders allowed in the opening 40 minutes were the fewest they’ve given up in two periods since Oct. 11, 2003 . . . The Islanders recalled undrafted free-agent defenseman Travis Mitchell, 24, in his second full season of professional hockey, from their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport. Mitchell was a healthy scratch against the Canucks. Defensemen Adam Pelech (jaw), Mike Reilly (concussion) and Alexander Romanov (upper body) remain out, though Roy is holding out hope that Romanov might make it back into the lineup by the end of this trip. “Bridgeport, Vancouver and Seattle and Calgary is quite a ways,” said Roy, listing the next two stops. “We just want to make sure we have a body here because Romy is still day-to-day.” . . . Forward Hudson Fasching remained a healthy scratch.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
