The Vancouver Canucks visit UBS Arena to face the New York Islanders on Tuesday at 4:45 p.m. PT after both teams lost on the weekend.
The Story
The Vancouver Canucks begin the second half of a six-game road trip with a Tuesday matchup against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena (4:45 p.m. PT). Vancouver enters the game with a 2–5–0 record, while New York is 2–3–0.
Both teams arrive coming off losses over the weekend. The Canucks were defeated 6–2 by the New York Rangers on Sunday, and the Islanders lost 5–3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
A key storyline from Vancouver’s road trip has been goaltending. Kevin Lankinen is listed with a 6.88 goals-against average and a .786 save percentage through the start of the 2026–27 season, and the Canucks have also had fewer than full days between starts for him, including playing only five minutes in a Saturday 4–1 loss to the New Jersey Devils.
With Lankinen not having gotten a full game off since October 3, the preview suggests it would make sense for Leevi Meriläinen to draw the start against the Islanders.
On the offensive side, Jonathan Lekkerimäki has “quietly impressed” in Vancouver’s early games, spending much of the season’s opening stretch on a line with Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk. The preview credits Lekkerimäki with two goals and three assists, tied for third on Vancouver in points.
For New York, Bo Horvat has been a frequent problem for his former team. Since being traded to the Islanders in January 2023, the preview notes Horvat has averaged a point-per-game pace against Vancouver over five matchups, and he enters Tuesday’s game riding a five-game point streak that includes four goals.
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