In Dakota Joshua’s return to the lineup, the Vancouver Canucks met their former captain Bo Horvat and the New York Islanders for his or her first matchup of the season. Sadly, his return didn’t spark the Canucks. They began on a constructive with Jonathan Lekkerimaki’s first NHL objective, but it surely rapidly went downhill from there as they may solely generate six pictures on Semyon Varlamov earlier than the beginning of the third interval. Because of Scott Mayfield and Pierre Engvall, two gamers that don’t rating that always, the Islanders jumped out to a 3-1 lead within the second. The third was higher for the house workforce, however they nonetheless ended up dropping 5-2 in one more lackluster effort at Rogers Enviornment.
Recreation Recap
After permitting the primary objective in eight video games straight, the Canucks lastly opened the scoring by way of Lekkerimaki’s first NHL objective. Taking a move from JT Miller down the left wing, he blasted house his first within the league on his workforce’s first shot of the sport. Sadly, they couldn’t construct on that constructive vitality and solely put two extra pucks on Varlamov the remainder of the interval. And one was from past heart ice by Filip Hronek. The Islanders, in the meantime, had the measure of the possibilities within the opening body, outshooting the Canucks 9-3 ultimately tying the sport on their second energy play when Anders Lee related on a cross-crease move to Jean Gabriel Pageau for a tap-in.
Completely priceless. 🥹
The look on Lekkerimäki’s dad and mom says all of it. pic.twitter.com/0fV2XBET1P— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 15, 2024
The Canucks’ torpid recreation continued within the second because the Islanders scored two fast targets within the opening 2:30 to show a 1-1 tie right into a 3-1 lead. Mayfield scored his first since April 8, 2023 on a deflection off Miller 14 seconds in after which Engvall potted his first of the season 1:46 later. The remainder of the interval was just about all Islanders, this time outshooting the Canucks 15-3. Heading into the third, the Islanders held a 24-6 benefit with solely three Canucks forwards producing pictures.
The Canucks have been in a position to up their shot whole within the remaining body, throwing 20 pucks at Varlamov, however might solely put one by him in rubbish time once they have been already down 4-1. Islanders captain Anders Lee scored his seventh slightly over midway via the interval earlier than Noah Dobson scored into an empty internet to make it 5-1. Tyler Mylers scored his first within the remaining two minutes to make it a 5-2 remaining because the Canucks fell to 2-3-3 on house ice. They’ve now allowed 29 targets in Vancouver, which interprets to a dreadful common of 4.14 per recreation.
Kevin Lankinen stopped 27 of 31 within the loss whereas Varlamov countered with 24 saves on 26 pictures after dealing with solely six within the first two durations.
What’s Subsequent For the Canucks & Islanders
The Canucks will play their fourth recreation on this six-game homestand on Saturday when Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks come to city. The Islanders additionally play on Saturday, touring to Seattle to play the Kraken.
