Kuhnhackl powers Islanders past Canucks

NEW YORK --Tom Kuhnhackl scored two goals for the New York Islanders in a 5-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Barclays Center on Tuesday.

Jordan Eberle had a goal and an assist, Cal Clutterbuck scored his first goal since Jan. 13, and Thomas Greiss made 22 saves for New York (9-6-2), which had lost three straight.
"Obviously it feels nice," Kuhnhackl said. "The last couple of games, we played pretty solid games, we just didn't get the result we wanted to. It was nice to get the win today."
WATCH: [All Canucks vs. Islanders highlights]
Brendan Leipsic and Jake Virtanen scored for Vancouver (10-8-2), which has lost three in a row and is 1-2-2 on a six-game road trip. Jacob Markstrom made 29 saves.
"It's been a grind a little bit, but it's not an excuse," Canucks coach Travis Green said. "In the NHL nowadays, you've got to be able to win on the road. We get home in a few days. We've got one more game and we're going to finish this trip off with a win."
Leipsic gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead at 2:48 of the first period when he converted Bo Horvat's cross-ice pass from the left circle.
Kuhnhackl tied it 1-1 at 5:11 when his backhand shot after falling on his back in the left circle managed to squeak past Markstrom at the left post.

"I was kind of falling and I just tried to put it on net," Kuhnhackl said. "I got it off the ice too a little bit. I guess I was fortunate enough that it went in.
"I looked at Leo (Komarov), because he came over and he said, 'Hey, you scored.' I didn't even realize for another 10 seconds that it went in."
Bailey gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead 45 seconds later when his pass to Anders Lee went off Canucks defenseman Chris Tanev's skate and trickled past Markstrom. Mathew Barzal had an assist on the play for his 100th NHL point.

"We played really well to start, then they get a lucky one to tie it and another lucky one off the skate," Horvat said. "They got the bounces and we didn't have enough push in the third period to come back."
Eberle made it 3-1 at 14:50 of the first period. Andrew Ladd chipped the puck behind the Canucks net, where Brock Nelson chased it down and quickly fed Eberle in front for a one-timer. The assist was Nelson's 200th NHL point.
Virtanen scored a power-play goal at 2:51 of the second period when he put Loui Eriksson's rebound past Greiss to cut it to 3-2.

Kuhnhackl scored at 3:26 of the third period when he redirected Eberle's feed to make it 4-2. The goal was upheld after a video review determined Kuhnhackl did not kick the puck into the net.
"It was one of those nights," Green said. "I liked how we battled back in the second. We got a power-play goal and we're right back in the game, and then the fourth goal … When you're down two on the road, I'm not going to sit here and make excuses, but you are a little bit tired. The game went that way."
Clutterbuck scored his first goal in 52 games on the power play at 17:06 to make it 5-2.

"I was real happy for Cal getting one," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "There was a monkey on his back, but it was more like a gorilla."

They said it

"It's been a lot. It's been a hard first 20 games. I think we've been playing pretty well and surprising a lot of teams and working hard. I think we've got to find our groove again. I think this next one's going to be real important for us to go onto the next little bit of the season here. We're doing little things right, it's just a matter of getting those bounces and working through it." -- Canucks center Bo Horvat
"I think it would weigh on anybody. The worst part I think is there's a lot of self-doubt that kind of creeps in. 10 games, 15-game slump is one thing, but when it goes that long you start to doubt your own ability. You've got the good support system there to keep reinforcing the fact that you're playing well and keep doing your job and it'll go in, and it did tonight. It's a big relief." -- Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck

Need to know

It was the first multigoal game for Kuhnhackl in the NHL. … New York is 2-for-24 on the power play in its past six games. … Canucks center Elias Pettersson was minus-3 in 15:47. … The Islanders extended their home point streak to six games (4-0-2). They are 30-9-7 all-time against Western Conference opponents at Barclays Center. … Ladd did not play in the third period because of an apparent leg injury sustained late in the second period after a hit from Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson. Trotz said he hopes to have an update on Ladd's condition Wednesday. … New York is 5-0-2 in its past seven games against Vancouver.

What's next

Canucks:At the Minnesota Wild on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; FS-N, SNP, NHL.TV)
Islanders: Host the New York Rangers on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSG+ 2, MSG, NHL.TV)