Kyle Palmieri recorded two goals, including the go-ahead tally in the third period, as the New York Islanders defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 at UBS Arena.
The Story
The New York Islanders beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Oct. 13, 2026 at UBS Arena as Kyle Palmieri scored twice, including the go-ahead goal with 5:38 remaining in the third period.
Palmieri opened the scoring in the first period and Matias Maccelli scored 53 seconds later to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. Vancouver responded with goals from Max Sasson and Brock Boeser, with Boeser scoring on the power play, to erase the deficit in the second period.
In the third, Palmieri scored again to restore the lead, finishing with a two-goal performance. Maccelli also collected his first multi-point game as an Islander and had six shots on goal, matching his single-game career high. He later played multiple shifts alongside Bo Horvat and Palmieri on the top line.
Maccelli’s first goal as an Islander came after he followed Palmieri’s opener, and Head Coach Pete DeBoer said the team moved Maccelli up the lineup after he was “buzzing,” adding that Maccelli “created the winning goal.” DeBoer also said the Islanders have depth that allows them to shift players up or down the lineup when they are playing well.
Matthew Schaefer added an assist for his third consecutive game and finished with two assists to reach six in six games. Matt Kessel, making his season debut, earned the primary assist on Palmieri’s opening goal for his first point as an Islander, and Horvat had a secondary assist to extend his point streak to six games.
In goal, Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves and recorded his 157th career win, tying him with Glenn “Chico” Resch for second all-time in franchise history. The Islanders improved to a 3-3-0 record.
Defensively and on faceoffs late, the Islanders held on after Adam Pelech was assessed a tripping penalty that allowed Vancouver to play 5-on-4 in the final 20 seconds. JG Pageau won three straight faceoffs in 16 seconds, going 13-for-17 overall with eight wins in his final 10, and DeBoer called Pageau’s last three draws “key to the game.”
The Islanders were also in the midst of a lineup adjustment for Kessel’s debut, with Kessel on the left side of the third defensive pair next to Tony DeAngelo in place of Scott Mayfield, who had played the previous two games. Kessel, who signed a one-year deal with the Islanders in July, played in his 100th NHL game and said his focus was staying steady and confident rather than getting “too amped up” for his debut.
Vancouver’s game ended with the Islanders improving to 3-3-0, and New York begins a short two-game road trip up to Canada on Thursday with a meeting against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. EDT.
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