Barzal, Pageau send Islanders to 6-2 win over Canucks

Updated Jan. 4, 2023 1:14 a.m. ET

Associated Press

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Mathew Barzal had a goal and two assists as the New York Islanders beat the struggling Vancouver Canucks 6-2 on Tuesday night.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored twice — once on a power play and then shorthanded late into an empty net. Aatu Raty, Anders Lee and Casey Cizikas also had goals for the Islanders. Barzal has scored in four straight games.

The Canucks got a pair of goals from Bo Horvat as they dropped their third game in a row. Vancouver's captain is tied with Alex Ovechkin for third in the NHL with 28 goals.

Ilya Sorokin stopped 24 shots in his 14th win. Spencer Martin made 23 saves for Vancouver.

Defensive mistakes have plagued the Canucks this season, and this marked the 16th time in 37 games that they've given up at least five goals.

Boos rained down as the final horn sounded and Vancouver fell to 7-10-1 at home.

Cizikas made it 5-2 with his third goal of the season 9:44 into the third period, sending a wrist shot over Martin’s glove from the faceoff dot.

Islanders rookie Parker Wotherspoon, who grew up a Canucks fan in British Columbia, assisted on the play for his first NHL point.

New York regained a two-goal cushion 1:46 into the third after Vancouver’s Ethan Bear turned over the puck deep in the Canucks zone.

Brock Nelson picked it up, spun to keep it on his stick and then sent it to Lee, who put a wrist shot past Martin to make it 4-2 with his 14th goal of the season.

Vancouver cut its deficit to one late in the second with a power-play goal after Matt Martin was called for hooking.

Seconds into the man advantage, J.T. Miller sent a pass to Horvat in the slot and he fired a shot past Sorokin to make it 3-2 with his 28th goal.

Another ugly giveaway quickly turned into an Islanders goal earlier in the second.

Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers coughed up the puck in the corner and Barzal took advantage, sailing a shot into the top corner to make it 3-1 at the 16:28 mark.

Barzal has 10 goals this season and five in his last four games.

Pageau gave New York the lead with a power-play goal 12:56 into the second after Myers was sent to the box for slashing.

HOMETOWN FEAST

Barzal, from the Vancouver suburb of Coquitlam, has hit the scoresheet in all 10 career matchups against his hometown team, amassing 12 points (two goals, 10 assists).

MILESTONE

Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn played in his 900th regular-season NHL game.

UP NEXT

Islanders: Continue a four-game trip Thursday at Edmonton.

Canucks: Host the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports