NY Islanders aim to get back in win column against struggling Canucks at UBS Arena

The New York Islanders couldn't ask for a much better opponent to close out their three-game homestand Tuesday night at UBS Arena.

The Vancouver Canucks arrive having lost four straight, surrendering goals at an alarming rate and sporting a penalty kill that looks like it couldn't stop a nosebleed.

But there's a catch. The Islanders have to actually show up for the first period.

Through five games, the Isles have scored just once in the opening 20 minutes. That's a troubling trend for a team that's spent too much time chasing games, including Saturday's 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay, when the Islanders erased two separate two-goal deficits before Brandon Hagel completed his hat trick late.

Against Vancouver, there's really no excuse for another sluggish start.

The Canucks have allowed an NHL-worst 35 goals through seven games, including 12 on the penalty kill, which is operating at an astonishingly bad 52 percent.

That's particularly encouraging for an Islanders power play that's scored in four consecutive games.

Bo Horvat, meanwhile, has opened the season with a career-best five-game point streak and gets another crack at his former team. Brayden Schenn has five points over his last four games and will face his brother, Luke, adding a little family intrigue to the matchup.

Ilya Sorokin is expected to start, while Simon Holmstrom finds himself on the fourth line after beginning the season alongside Horvat.

Still, Vancouver isn't completely helpless. Elias Pettersson has eight points, and the Canucks have scored 24 goals despite their miserable record.

The Islanders have shown flashes of being a legitimate playoff contender, but consistency remains elusive. Tuesday represents an opportunity to put together something resembling a complete 60-minute performance against an opponent they should beat. And for a team trying to establish an identity early in the season, simply beating the teams they're supposed to beat would be a pretty good place to start.

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