Islanders Manage to Pull Off a Win Against Canucks

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — It’s a bit like an inkblot test for the Islanders.

On one hand, it’s commendable they turned around a rough start to secure a 4-3 victory against the Canucks on Monday, especially considering it was the sixth game of a seven-game road trip and they were without their top scorer.

But then again, it feels a bit perplexing. Are we really meant to celebrate a win against a team that sits at the bottom of the league? This was a Canucks squad that lost its 11th game in a row on the same day they traded away their leading scorer, Kiefer Sherwood.

The Islanders have a point when they say that standings can be misleading, suggesting every game’s a battle and that they genuinely need a break after a lengthy road trip.

“That was a game where we found a way to win,” said Anders Lee. “…We’re trying to take home those two points. You need to win even when things aren’t clicking.”

Fair enough, but there’s this lingering feeling of unease about how they got there.

Throughout the match, the Islanders struggled with Vancouver’s physical play and struggled in crucial duels. It’s becoming a familiar pattern that they were outperformed around both nets. They were disorganized in the initial phases of the game, with a newly formed second line of Max Tsyplakov, Cal Ritchie, and Emil Heineman failing to defend against two goals in the first period before Tsyplakov found himself surprisingly benched.

Despite their challenges, Vancouver couldn’t capitalize early, and the Islanders managed to claw back into the game. Less than two minutes after Anthony Duclair scored his second goal, Ryan Purock slipped one in at 15:58 of the second period, giving New York a 3-2 edge.

They let Vancouver back into it, wasting a power play advantage with 1:39 remaining in the third, but the Canucks stumbled over themselves instead.

Shortly after, they floundered on their own power play, but Tony DeAngelo scored off Lee’s rebound, extending the lead to 4-2.

As the game drew to a close, the Canucks narrowed the gap to one with a Drew O’Connor tip-in from Filip Hronek, giving the Islanders a moment of concern. But that was as close as they would get.

“We started to get better in one-on-one battles,” said coach Patrick Roy. “That was the key. After the first period, I think we gave up nine chances. It was too many, so we had to refocus on defense and do better.”

Duclair, who began the night scoring from the right circle, has been a bright spot for a struggling offense. Since his hat trick against New Jersey, he’s shown a renewed sense of confidence.

“I switched sticks because of Cizikas’ stick,” he mentioned, reflecting on his five-point night against the Devils. “I think that made a difference.”

His connection with Matt Barzal, who always puts in the effort in Vancouver, was evident in this game, as the top line had a solid performance. There was a similar spark between Matthew Schaefer and Purock, while Evander Kane’s shot at one point almost got past Sorokin, who managed to save it just in time.

On the flip side, Tsyplakov appears to be struggling with confidence. He looked lost on the ice and was benched after the first period, leaving uncertainty about how this situation will resolve.

“It’s my responsibility,” Roy acknowledged about Tsyplakov’s performance, mentioning he will likely keep him in the lineup against the Kraken. “He didn’t have a bad game, he just didn’t get much playtime. Sometimes you have to go with who you think gives you the best chance to win.”

Cal Ritchie managed a third consecutive assist, but seemed to be caught in a similar slump.

The lack of physical presence from the Islanders really showed here. The Canucks made errors early on, and New York seemed disoriented, which against a stronger opponent could have turned out much worse.

Securing two points doesn’t quite excuse the need for a wake-up call.