Duclair scores twice, Islanders hand Canucks 11th straight loss

VANCOUVER -- Anthony Duclair scored twice for the New York Islanders, who handed the Vancouver Canucks their 11th straight loss with a 4-3 victory at Rogers Arena on Monday.

Duclair has seven goals in his past seven games after scoring four in his first 39 games this season.

“Feel good,” said Duclair, who is playing on the top line with Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee. “Obviously, playing with some really good players. I keep saying it, 'Barzy' is finding me. I love to play with those guys, him and [Lee], and as a line as a whole, we're finding our chemistry together.”

Tony DeAngelo had a goal and an assist, and Barzal and Matthew Schaefer each had two assists for the Islanders (27-17-5), who had lost two of three and are 3-2-1 on their seven-game road trip that will conclude at the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday. Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves.

“It was an important win for us,” New York coach Patrick Roy said.

Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves for the Canucks (16-28-5), who are 0-9-2 in their past 11 games and 4-14-3 at home this season.

“I’ve been watching this for too long,” Vancouver coach Adam Foote said. “We’ve got to stop burning ourselves by getting frustrated. We’ve got to stay within the plan. The plan’s working. And it’s our vets. They’ve got to hang in there.

“Our veterans are the ones that feel defeated first. It’s been going on here for a few years. We get off our game, we get frustrated, we overcomplicate it, slam the gate, things like that. It’s something we’ve got to get out of our culture. ... It just gets us off our game slightly, off our game plan for just a little bit too long, and allows other teams to get just a little bit of energy and come back in the game. It’s something we’ve got to stop.”

Max Sasson put the Canucks ahead 1-0 at 2:49 of the first period following a pretty passing play from the fourth line. After Sasson created a turnover, Nils Hoglander passed from the right boards across the ice to Linus Karlsson, who quickly fed Sasson for a one-timer from the right hash marks past the outstretched glove of Sorokin.

Duclair tied it 1-1 at 10:11. He scored short side with a wrist shot from the right circle after a nice play by DeAngelo, who spun off a check high in the zone and cut down the left wing before sending a backhand pass across the ice between four Canucks defenders.

“Unbelievable, world class," Duclair said. "Especially on his backhand, cross-seam through a couple guys, right on the stick. I just have to put it in. Great pass.”

Evander Kane put Vancouver back ahead 2-1 at 14:48, redirecting defenseman Elias Pettersson's one-timer from the point under Sorokin’s glove.

Schaefer appeared to tie it on a 2-on-1 at 17:45, but the Canucks challenged the play for offside, and a video review determined the rookie defenseman entered the zone early.

Duclair did tie it 2-2 on a power play at 14:34 of the second period. He took a short pass from Calum Ritchie, who was down near the goal line, and buried a one-timer from the bottom of the left circle over the right shoulder of Lankinen.

“[Ritchie's] got such great hands, so deceptive, and I think the defenseman and goalie don't really know if he's taking it to the net or passing,” Duclair said. “Great plays by him."

Ryan Pulock put New York ahead 3-2 at 15:58. He received a pass from Schaefer near the blue line and skated unchecked to the top of the circles before scoring with a shot over Lankinen’s blocker.

“My mind was ready to shoot, and I picked my head up and saw a lot of space, so I tried to take a little ice and get myself a little better position,” Pulock said.

The Islanders failed to convert on a 5-on-3 power play for 1:39 early in the third period, but DeAngelo extended the lead to 4-2 at 10:15 after he got to a rebound in the bottom of the left circle.

“He's jumping in the rush very well, he's been moving the puck well, and it's a good asset for us,” Roy said.

Drew O'Connor cut it to 4-3 at 18:09, scoring on a deflection with Lankinen pulled for an extra attacker.

“A lot of great stuff,” Pulock said of DeAngelo. “That pass on the first was pretty special, backhand sauce right on the guy's tape, and then obviously a big goal late to give us a two-goal lead and give us a chance when we're obviously 6-on-5 for a while. We gave up one, but if it weren't for that big goal late, it would be different.”

NOTES: Schaefer has 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 49 games, tying Tim Connolly (1999-2000) for the most by an 18-year-old in a season in Islanders history. Connolly had 14 goals and 20 assists in 81 games that season. ... Hoglander’s assist was his first point in 14 games this season.