Canucks 5 - 4 Islanders
Final - OT
  for this game

Canucks hope to snap skid against Islanders

Oct 22, 2013 - 3:03 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Vancouver Canucks will try to avoid a third straight setback on Tuesday when they visit the New York Islanders for a clash at Nassau Coliseum.

Vancouver began its current seven-game road trip with wins in Philadelphia and Buffalo before losing to Pittsburgh and Columbus on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

The Canucks were handed a 4-3 shootout loss Saturday in Pittsburgh and then dropped a 3-1 decision the following day against the Blue Jackets. R.J. Umberger scored the game-winner in the third period to lift Columbus to the home win on Sunday.

Henrik Sedin had the lone goal of the game for the Canucks and Eddie Lack gave up two goals on 28 shots in the loss. Lack was making just his second start of the season.

"He played a great game," Sedin said of Lack. "He's given us a chance to win in each of his starts. That's all you can ask from him."

Roberto Luongo will be back between the pipes for Vancouver on Tuesday. A fourth-round pick by the Islanders in 1997, Luongo is 7-10-2 with a tie and a 2.65 goals against average in 23 career games against his former team.

The last time the Canucks lost three in a row was during a four-game playoff sweep at the hands of the San Jose Sharks last May. The club last lost three straight in the regular season during a four-game slide (0-2-2) from March 3-10 of last season.

Vancouver is 3-2-1 on the road this season and will visit New Jersey and St. Louis before completing this swing.

The Islanders enter Tuesday having lost four of their last five games and are coming off Saturday's regulation home loss against Carolina. Jiri Tlusty scored a pair of goals for the visiting Hurricanes, who scored the game's first three goals before holding on for the 4-3 victory at the Coliseum.

Kyle Okposo, Matt Moulson and Frans Nielsen scored for the Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov turned away 19 shots in the loss.

"We didn't deserve the game," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "We didn't start the game the way we needed to start. You watch the replay of the goals, just lack of effort on a few of them. You don't expect that out of individuals."

In addition to losing the game, New York also saw defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky suffer a concussion. Visnovsky, who suffered the head injury on a hit from Carolina's Riley Nash, will sit out tonight's game and is sidelined indefinitely.

Tuesday's contest marks the end of a four-game homestand for the Isles, who are 2-1-2 as the host this season.

The Canucks have taken two straight and four of the last six games against the Islanders. New York also has lost two of its last three home tilts against Vancouver.






Related News