Vancouver Canucks Gameday Preview #8: Who Gets The Start Against The New York Islanders?

The Vancouver Canucks (2–5–0) begin the second-half of their six-game road trip when they face the New York Islanders (2–3–0) tonight. Both teams will enter today’s game after suffering losses on the weekend. Vancouver comes into today’s game after suffering a 6–2 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday, while the Islanders’ last matchup saw them lose 5–3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. 

One of the biggest storylines following the Canucks throughout their road trip thus far has been their goaltending. From back-to-back performances from Kevin Lankinen resulting in six goals-against, to wacky equipment issues for Leevi Meriläinen, Vancouver’s goaltenders have taken center stage since they made it out east. 

Things have been especially difficult for Lankinen, who is currently sporting a 6.88 GAA and .786 SV% through the start of the season. While the goaltender has been given relatively difficult matchups in relation to Vancouver’s schedule (such as starts against the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes), Lankinen’s numbers have been worrisome so far through 2026–27. The fact that the Canucks have looked very much like a team still figuring things out defensively doesn’t help. 

It’ll be interesting to see who Vancouver opts to start heading into Tuesday’s matchup, though considering the fact that Lankinen technically hasn’t gotten a full game off since October 3 (as he played in five minutes of Saturday’s 4–1 loss to the New Jersey Devils), it’d make sense for Meriläinen to step in against the Islanders. 

Jonathan Lekkerimäki 

One player who has quietly impressed in Vancouver’s first games of the 2026–27 season is Jonathan Lekkerimäki. The forward has spent the majority of the early season on a line with Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk, with the trio doing a consistently fair job of generating offence for their team. His two goals and three assists are currently tied for third on Vancouver in points.  

Bo Horvat

Former Canucks always seem to do well against their ex-team, and Bo Horvat is no exception. Since being traded to the Islanders in January of 2023, Horvat has averaged a point-per-game pace against Vancouver through five matchups. He enters today’s game riding a five-game point streak to start the 2026–27 season, with four of these points being goals.  

Vancouver Canucks (2–5–0): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 2–6–8

Paul Cotter: 4–2–6

Jake DeBrusk: 3–2–5

Jonathan Lekkerimäki: 2–3–5

Linus Karlsson: 1–4–5

Goaltenders: 

Kevin Lankinen: 1–5–0

Leevi Meriläinen: 1–0–0

New York Islanders (2–3–0): 

Points: 

Bo Horvat: 4–2–6

Brayden Schenn: 2–3–5

Logan Stanley: 0–4–4

Matthew Schaefer: 0–4–4

Jean-Gabriel Pageau: 1–2–3

Goaltenders: 

Ilya Sorokin: 2–2–0

Semyon Varlamov: 0–1–0

Game Information: 

Start time: 4:45 pm PT

Venue: UBS Arena 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: KiSS West Coast 

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