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Good Morning, Islanders Country.
Semyon Varlamov allowed a goal on the first shot of a game to Jonathan Lekkerimaki - it was his first career NHL goal. That’s the 203rd time (and fourth time this season) the Islanders had done that, and things got better from there.
Yes, that’s right. I said things got better, much, much better.
Perhaps it was the quality and potentness of Western Canada's smelling salts, but the Islanders came ready to play in Vancouver. After that early setback, they made a quick adjustment and put together their best all-around game of the season.
“I think we’ve been building our game toward a night like this where we put it all together and stuck with a lot of things,” Anders Lee said. “Whether it is the power play, stuff like that. Kind of all facets of the game were big for us tonight, and I think that’s why we played a really solid 60 minutes.”
The Isles dominated the Canucks, allowing only six shots on goal through the first two periods, and received contributions from just about everyone. Grant Hutton had his first two NHL assists, Scott Mayfield scored his first goal in 60 games, Anders Lee now scored again in another multi-goal game, and Noah Dobson scored an empty-netter for his first of the season.
Oh, and Pierre Engvall, who had by far his best performance of the season, looked like a player you would give a long-term contract to. Put it all together, and the Islanders have recorded points in five straight games (3-0-2) and are 4-1-2 in their last seven. Not too bad for a team whose season ended a few weeks ago after the injuries to Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech.
“In six out of our last seven [games] we pick up points,” said Patrick Roy. “Maybe I like to be half full than half empty in my glass, but anyway, my point is, we are very confident right now. We came here and we knew we had to play a good game, because it's a good team, and that's exactly what our guys did.”
It’s the type of win that makes you start to believe what Roy has been saying for weeks, that the Islanders have deserved better. To prove it, they must show that performances like last night are sustainable.
Let’s dive in.
🏒 IN SHORT: Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves, Anders Lee had a goal and an assist, and the New York Islanders beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 on Thursday night at Rogers Arena. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Scott Mayfield, Pierre Engvall, and Noah Dobson — into an empty net — also scored for New York. Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored his first NHL goal early in the first period for Vancouver, and Tyler Myers finished the scoring late in the third. Dakota Joshua returned to action for Vancouver after surgery for testicular cancer. He skated on the fourth line with Nils Hoglander and Aatu Raty. [ESPN}
KEY MOMENT(s):
🔷 Pageau tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 17:23. Lee collected a hard pass from Oliver Wahlstrom at the left post before sending a no-look backhand feed through the crease to Pageau for a tap-in.
🔶 Pierre Engvall extended the lead to 3-1 at 2:10, jamming in a rebound at the top of the crease after Lankinen made a good save off Simon Holmstrom.
🔷 Lee made it 4-1 at 11:42. Horvat beat Quinn Hughes down the right wing and passed back out front from below the goal line to Lee, who was left alone for a quick shot from the low slot.
3 REACTIONS
❶ HAD MY NUMBER: “It definitely feels good to finally get my first win against these guys,” said Bo Horvat. “They've had my number here for the first three, and it obviously felt good to get the win.”
❷ TEAM EFFORT: “Tonight was a huge team effort,” said Patrick Roy. “Everybody played really well. I mean, it's hard for me to single out anybody because everybody played real solid. ... I thought we were on the puck, sharp and good forecheck, we defended pretty well. It was a good game for us.”
❸ GETTING BETTER: “I'm just trying to do my best every game and every practice,” Engvall said. “And I think our line is getting better and better.”
GAME IMPACT SCORE
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders continue their five-game road trip in the Pacific Northwest when they take on captain Jordan Eberle and the Seattle Kraken.
📊 STANDINGS:
📰 NEWS: The Islanders made no changes to their lines from the previous game against the Edmonton Oilers but did make official the call-up of 24-year-old defenseman Travis Mitchell. The Islanders had an open roster spot, and calling up Mitchell gave them another defenseman while they remained on the road and a far, far way from home. “Bridgeport, Vancouver and Seattle and Calgary is quite a ways,” said Patrick Roy, listing the next two stops. “We just want to make sure we have a body here because Romy is still day-to-day. Until that status changes, we feel like we’re more comfortable to have someone here close to us.”
The 6-4 206-pound Mitchell has a goal and two assists in eight games for Bridgeport and has yet to play in the NHL. Hudson Fasching was the healthy scratch. There’s some optimism that Alexander Romanov can return to the lineup before the end of the road trip.
Bash Brothers
Matt Martin dropped the gloves with Vincent Desharnais for his first fight of the season, which led to this split screen of the two having to shed their sweaters and adjust their equipment. Thomas Hickey said the scene reminded him of The Might Ducks (Mighty Ducks 2, to be exact) with Dean Portman and Fulton Reed.
Honoring the Past
For the New York Post, beat writer Ethan Sears looked at which former Islanders should be considered for the team Hall of Fame or the soon-to-be-unveiled Ring of Honor. The list ranges from Hockey Hall of Famers Pat LaFontaine and Pierre Turgeon to lovable goaltender Chico Resch and play-by-play man Jiggs McDonald.
📚 SOUND SMART: Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, Scott Mayfield is only the fourth defenseman in Islander history to score in the first fifteen seconds of any period, joining Denis Potvin, Nick Leddy, and Adam Pelech. However, none of those other goals happened in the second period, making Mayfield's the earliest second-period defense goal in club history.
The previous record in the second period was 21 set by Jean Potvin in 1977 and equaled by Johnny Boychuk on Oct. 17, 2015, at Barclays Center against San Jose.
🎥 ISLES REWIND: On November 15, 2018, Anthony Beauvillier registered his first hat trick and an assist as the Islanders held off the New York Rangers 7-5 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. "I was pretty pumped before the game," the Quebec native said. "It was snowing outside; felt like Christmas. And playing the Rangers is always fun. It feels good to get the win."
🔗 Islanders' Bo Horvat is more comfortable returning to Vancouver this year by Andrew Gross, Newsday “Horvat promptly signed an eight-year, $68 million extension and has centered the Islanders’ top line since his first game with the team. Horvat scored a goal in his first game back at Rogers Arena, a 4-3 overtime loss to the Canucks on Nov. 15, 2023. “It’s weird being on the opposite end of the rink,” Horvat said. “Being back in the city, so many great memories. Playing here, starting my family here. Owned a house here. So many firsts here.”
🔗 Shorthanded Islanders throttle Canucks in dominant road win by Ethan Sears, New York Post “This was the sort of performance that makes you forget the Islanders are playing without nearly a third of their regular lineup, the kind that makes you think maybe there is something sustainable here. The Islanders went into the building of a playoff team, and they owned the puck, tilting the ice by playing a hardworking game below the hashes and establishing a forecheck that had been missing two nights prior in Edmonton.”
And we leave you with this ….Justin Bourne shared this photo of his kids’ grandparents (Clark Gillies and Bob Bourne) taken 45 years ago.
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