National Hockey League
Vancouver 5, NY Islanders 4
When: 10:00 PM ET, Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
Referees: Gord Dwyer, Dan O'Rourke
Linesmen: Shandor Alphonso, Ryan Gibbons
Attendance: 18871

J.T. Miller scored the lone goal in the shootout as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the visiting New York Islanders 5-4 Tuesday night.

Goaltender Thatcher Demko made 45 saves through regulation and overtime and didn't allow a goal on three Islanders shootout attempts as the Canucks (36-27-6, 78 points) won for just the second time in their past seven games (2-5-0).

Adam Gaudette, Tyler Toffoli, Zack MacEwen and Bo Horvat scored in regulation for Vancouver.

Brock Nelson scored twice, and Andrew Ladd and Jordan Eberle also tallied for the Islanders (35-23-10, 80 points), who took their season-high seventh consecutive defeat (0-3-4). Goaltender Semyon Varlamov stopped 30 shots through regulation and overtime.

Miller's winner came in the second round of the shootout. He slowly skated down the left wing then cut to the middle, putting a wrist shot from the slot just inside the right post.

The game got off to a quick start, with three goals in the opening 2:41.

Ladd gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 1:36 after Nick Leddy kept the puck in the offensive zone at the left point. He set up Josh Bailey for a slapshot from the blue line that Ladd tipped into the net.

Just 21 seconds later, the Canucks tied it as Gaudette redirected an Alexander Edler wrist shot from the left point past Varlamov. Edler finished with two assists, as did the Islanders' Derick Brassard.

Toffoli gave Vancouver the lead 44 seconds later, taking a cross-ice pass from Elias Pettersson on a three-on-two break and scoring from the right faceoff circle.

The Islanders tied it with 59 seconds left in the period as Eberle took a pass from Mathew Barzal in the right faceoff circle, spun toward the net and scored on a backhander.

The Canucks regained the lead off an Islanders turnover in their own zone at 2:14 of the second. Edler picked off a pass at the left side boards and sent a wrister toward the net that MacEwen tipped in.

Nelson tied the score at 3-3 at 17:00 of the second, splitting two Vancouver defenders to get to the puck and lifting a backhander past Demko.

Horvat scored a power-play goal 51 seconds later on a shot from the slot to give the Canucks a 4-3 lead heading into the third period.

Nelson's second of the night, at 4:32 of the third off a rebound in front, tied the score at 4-4.

Forward Brock Boeser returned to the Canucks' lineup after missing 12 games due to a rib cartilage fracture.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
NY Islanders   Vancouver
Brock Nelson 2 Points Tyler Toffoli 2
Brock Nelson 2 Goals Tyler Toffoli 1
Derick Brassard 2 Assists Alexander Edler 2
N/A Power Play Goals Bo Horvat 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Semyon Varlamov .882 Save Percentage Thatcher Demko .918
Semyon Varlamov 30 Saves Thatcher Demko 45
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
NY Islanders 49 4 0-3 1-2 4 31
Vancouver 34 5 1-2 3-3 6 33
Upcoming Games
  • Vancouver will play their next game on the road against Arizona. The Canucks have a W/L % of .571 after a win and .471 after a loss.
  • NY Islanders will play their next game on the road against Calgary. The Islanders have a W/L % of .583 after a win and .438 after a loss.