By Andrew Phillip Chernoff | CanucksBanter

November 14, 2024

The Vancouver Canucks are hosting the New York Islanders tonight in game three of their six-game homestand.

Vancouver

• The Canucks are currently t-3rd in the Pacific Division with an 8-3-3 record.
• They’ve won four of their last five games and seem to be finding their rhythm under head coach Rick Tocchet.
• There’s a sense of optimism surrounding the team as they’ve shown improvement in their system play and structure.
• The Canucks at Rogers Arena have a 2-2-3 record.
• Elias Pettersson is heating up with multi-point efforts in his last two games and five points in his last four (3 goals, 2 assists).
• J.T. Miller is also contributing consistently and has 4 points in his last 5 games (1 goal and 3 assists).
• Quinn Hughes continues to be a vital part of their defense, contributing offensively and defensively. He has 1 goal and 7 assists in his last 5-games.
• Jake DeBrusk (3 goals, 2 assists), Conor Garland (1 goal, 3 assists), Filip Hronek (1 goal, 2 assists), Pius Suter (4 goals) are contributing to a balanced offense.
• Goalie Kevin Lankinen is 8-1-2 this season, with a GAA of 2.46 and SV% of .911. At Rogers Arena, he is 2-1-2.
• They’ll need to be disciplined against the Islanders and avoid giving their power play any opportunities.
• The Canucks need to carry the momentum from their recent wins into this game.
• They need to play a full 60-minute game and avoid any lapses in concentration.
• Containing Mathew Barzal, the Islanders’ leading scorer, will be crucial.

New York Islanders

• The Islanders are currently 5th in the Metropolitan Division with a 6-6-4 record.
• They’re averaging 2.5 goals per game, which is middle-of-the-pack in the league.
• Mathew Barzal is leading the team in scoring, but they need more consistent production throughout the lineup.
• They’re giving up 3.1 goals per game, which is a bit high.
• Their penalty kill has been struggling, operating at just 77.8%.
  Goaltending:
• Ilya Sorokin has been solid with a 4-4-3 record but not quite at his Vezina-caliber best from last season with a 2.66 GAA and .915 SV%.
• They need more consistency from their backup goaltender.
• They’re in a tough stretch where they play 9 of 11 games on the road.
• They’ve struggled in overtime, with a 1-4 record.
• The Islanders are 4-3-2 on the road this season.
• Goaltending: Ilya Sorokin will likely need to steal a game for them to win in Vancouver.
• The Islanders have historically struggled in Vancouver, having not won at Rogers Arena since 2017.

Team Stats

Prediction

Canucks are playing a desperate team in the Islanders that are in the midst of a long stretch of road games and need wins to stay competitive in their Division.

Vancouver is getting into season form and making some good things happen after a mixed start to their season.

Both teams will be looking to put in 60 minute games with their key players stepping up and the rest of the their lineups matching the intensity of the teams leaders in supporting roles.

The game isn’t over until that final buzzer sounds and the winner has been settled.

Go Canucks Go.