Game Preview: Islanders vs Canucks

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (2-3-0) VS VANCOUVER CANUCKS (2-5-0)

7:45 P.M. | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS

HOW TO WATCH/STREAM: MSGSN, MSG+ ON DAZN

HOW TO LISTEN: 88.7 FM WRHU | 103.9FM LI NEWS | 92.5FM THE BEACON | ISLES + UBS ARENA APP

The New York Islanders are set to finish their three-game homestand when they host the Vancouver Canucks at UBS Arena at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Isles played a strong back half against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday and clawed back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 to tie it at 3-3 before Brandon Hagel capped his four-point game with a hat trick in the final minutes of the third period.

Tony DeAngelo, JG Pageau and Brayden Schenn scored for the Isles who netted a power-play goal in their fourth consecutive game.

• Read a full game recap here

Bo Horvat has at least one point in each of the first five games. It’s the first time in his NHL career that he’s started a season with a five-game point streak.

Schenn has five points in his last four games and had a game-high four hits against the Lightning. Brayden will be facing his brother, Luke Schenn, when Vancouver comes to town.

The Canucks are coming off their fourth loss in a row after a 6-2 defeat to the New York Rangers on Sunday. Forwards Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk continued their strong start to the season with goals, butthe Canucks allowed four unanswered over the final 21:35 in the loss.

Pettersson leads the Canucks with eight points (2G, 6A) through seven games. Vancouver has benefited from an early season surge from 26-year-old forward Paul Cotter who has four goals in seven games.

PROJECTED LINEUP (Updated: 7:25 p.m.)

The Islanders held an optional morning skate and defenseman Adam Pelech – who didn’t practice on Monday due to a maintenance day – was on the ice.  

DeAngelo did not skate during the morning session and took the option. He’s expected to play Tuesday night.  

Ilya Sorokin was in the starter’s net during morning skate, indicating he’ll likely be starting for the Isles against Vancouver. 

The Isles had a slight change during pregame warmups. Scott Mayfield – who's played the last two games – was not on the ice during warmups. Matt Kessel took his spot alongside Tony DeAngelo and the former will play in his 100th NHL game. 

Here’s the projected lineup for the Isles:  

Emil Heineman – Bo Horvat – Kyle Palmieri 
Brayden Schenn – Cal Ritchie – Victor Eklund 
Ondřej Palát – JG Pageau – Anthony Duclair 
Matias Maccelli – Casey Cizikas – Simon Holmström   

Logan Stanley – Matthew Schaefer   
Adam Pelech - Ryan Pulock 
Tony DeAngelo – Matt Kessel 

Extra: Kyle MacLean, Scott Mayfield

ISLES LOOKING FOR A FAST START

After a sluggish start against the Lightning, defenseman Logan Stanley said the Isles are emphasizing a fast start against a Vancouver team in the heart of a road trip.

The Islanders have just one first period goal this season compared to 10 second period tallies and five in the third.

The Islanders are facing a Canucks team that’s given up a league-worst 35 goals on the season and have allowed five goals-per-game.

Vancouver has still been able to produce offensively with 14 different goal scorers this year. The Canucks have scored 24 goals, which is the fifth most in the league and found the back of the net seven times in a 9-7 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 1.

As a result, Stanley emphasized puck management in the defensive zone and said sticking to the forecheck – which has led to many Islanders goals this season – will be key.

“We need four lines and six D going at all times,” Stanley said. “Depth is going to be one of our strengths. We got four good lines and six good D that can all play. I think also keeping the game simple. Turnovers in this league never help a team in any way. If we have nothing, getting on our forecheck because I think we got good strong forwards that that hunt pucks and get them back and that creates momentum for us.”

SCHENN BROTHERS TO FACE OFF

One of the most durable and reliable set of brothers to ever play, Brayden and Luke Schenn will face off against each other as they continue years 18 and 19, respectively in their careers.

They’ve played 2,235 games combined as Luke’s logged 1,128 and Brayden has 1,107. The latter has played 331 consecutive games which is 10^th longest active streak in the NHL.

The brothers were former teammates with the Philadelphia Flyers and became the eighth set of brothers all-time to each reach 1,000 games. They’re the first in NHL history to do so in the same season when Brayden hit 1,000 on Feb. 27, 2025.

Between the pair, the Schenn brothers have won three Stanley Cups. Luke won back-to-back with the Lightning and Brayden captured one with the St. Louis Blues.

They played a Stanley Cup Playoff series against each other in 2025 and Brayden said, “that was probably one time in our life where we literally put the phone down and didn't talk to each other for two weeks.” 

“We got an ear full from my mom two years ago in the playoffs when we were hitting each other and stuff like that,” Schenn joked. “I don't think she loves that part of it, but I think from family wide, we don't take it for granted.” 

It’s been a family reunion recently as Brayden and Luke’s dad Jeff will be in attendance to watch his sons on Tuesday. Brayden had Luke, Jeff and Logan Stanley at his house for dinner on Monday, and it ignited a game of mini sticks between the brothers, Jeff, Stanley and Brayden's son Huxley.  

“You know these games don't last forever, and especially Eastern, Western Conference, all that type of stuff, there's not as many of them anymore,” Brayden said on Tuesday. “This is a chance for us to appreciate the moments, and we're two guys that get to live out our childhood dream together, playing in the NHL and playing against one another.  

If you'd ask either one of us, we're each other's biggest supporter and been in each other's corner since day one and push each other and I think that's what makes the whole ride special is you have a brother along to do it with you. Whether it's the summer training or the in-season grinds of the ups and downs we've always kind of leaned on each other, and I think it's been important for both of us.”  

SCOUTING THE CANUCKS

Vancouver is led by 16-year NHL veteran and former Canuck Manny Malhotra who’s in his first season as the head coach.

While one of his first moves was drafting his son Caleb Malhotra third-overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, he inherits a team that finished with the worst record in the NHL last season after they traded defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild last December.

All three players they acquired in the deal – Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium and Liam Ohgren – have factored in the start of Vancouver’s season. Rossi’s three goals tied for second-most on the team while Buium is a gifted young defenseman and on the top defensive pairing with Filip Hronek, who has five assists this year.

Special teams will be critical once again for the Islanders as the Canucks have the league’s worst penalty kill at 52%. Vancouver has allowed 12 power-play goals, which is the most in the NHL.

Goaltending has been an issue for the Canucks as Kevin Lankinen has made five starts with a 6.88 goals-against average and a .786 save percentage. Leevi Meriläinen is the other option for Vancouver who has a team save percentage of .842, 30^th in the NHL.