Lehner makes 36 saves, Islanders shut out Canucks

VANCOUVER --Robin Lehner made 36 saves for the New York Islanders in a 4-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Saturday.

It was Lehner's fourth shutout of the season, an NHL career high. He is 15-3-2 with a .943 save percentage and three shutouts in his past 20 games.
"Honestly, I just want to win with this team," Lehner said. "Every point we get with this group feels amazing. We're still pushing in the standings and we're having a good year."
WATCH: [All Islanders vs. Canucks highlights]
Casey Cizikas, Ryan Pulock, Anthony Beauvillier and Cal Clutterbuck scored for the Islanders (36-18-7), who went 1-1-1 on their Western Canada road trip and are four points ahead of the Washington Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division.
"We were having a little bit of a slump and this is the type of game we need to regroup," Lehner said.
Jacob Markstrom made 19 saves for the Canucks (26-28-8), who have lost three straight and eight of their past 10 (2-6-2). Vancouver is five points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.
"We're still in it, we've just got to win some hockey games here," Canucks center Bo Horvat said. "We need to find ways to score at this time of the year."
Cizikas chipped the puck over Markstrom with a backhand after Johnny Boychuk's initial shot bounced off the end boards to give New York a 1-0 lead at 4:48 of the first period.

Lehner stopped Jay Beagle on a shorthanded breakaway at 6:25, and Pulock made it 2-0 at 14:05 on a one-timer from the top of the left circle after the Islanders controlled play for an extended period in the Canucks zone on a delayed penalty.
"Everybody in this room had a little chip on their shoulder," said Cizikas, who has five goals in his past six games. "We came out with four lines firing and did a good job hounding the puck and getting all over them and not really giving them too many chances. So if we continue doing that we are going to have more success."
Vancouver outshot New York 15-3 in the second period, hit the post twice, and Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield cleared the puck off the goal line after a shot bounced off the back of Lehner.
"Robin bailed us out and gave us a chance," Cizikas said. "He made some unbelievable saves, some big saves, and he's the one that kept the lead for us and this game is all to him."
Lehner made his best save on a pair of rebound chances in the second period, squaring up quickly to stop a Nikolay Goldobin shot off the mask to his right before sliding across and stacking the pads to stop Josh Leivo to his left.
"I'm not like other goalies," Lehner said with a smile about stacking the pads. "In the second they got a couple power plays and had a lot of pressure, so I got a little workout but it was good."

Beauvillier finished off a 3-on-2 passing play with Josh Bailey and Valtteri Filppula to make it 3-0 at 2:34 of the third period, and Clutterbuck scored into an empty net with 1:14 left to extend the lead to 4-0.
"This whole trip we have been down two goals in the first period and we had a good first period," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "Second period wasn't great, but we bent and Robin was real good. A couple posts that helped us out and then the third I thought we played how we can. I'll take two out of three periods."
Vancouver went 0-for-4 on the power play, including not getting a shot during a 5-on-3 for 24 seconds in the second period. The Canucks are 4-for-57 on the power play in their past 19 games.
"You do have to have puck luck, but at the same time, you've got to find ways to make it work and score," Horvat said.

They said it

"I just felt [Lehner] looked a little sharper in the game, he looked a little more calm, like he was a little bit more in the zone (in 4-3 overtime loss to Edmonton Oilers on Thursday). It wasn't going really good, thought I'd change the energy and flip them." -- Islanders coach Barry Trotz on starting goalie Robin Lehner in consecutive games after alternating with Thomas Greiss the previous nine games
"No one in this room's going to quit. We've got to stay positive, keep pushing. We're going to get some wins." -- Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom

Need to know

Trotz said injured forward Andrew Ladd (lower body) and defenseman Thomas Hickey (upper body), who are practicing with the team but remain on injured reserve, will likely play next week. … Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler (concussion) practiced on Saturday and could return Monday against the Anaheim Ducks.

What's next

Islanders: Host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MSG+, SNW, NHL.TV)
Canucks:Host the Anaheim Ducks on Monday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, FS-W, NHL.TV)