Quick three-goal surge lifts Canucks past Islanders

Aatu Raty, Derek Forbort and Teddy Blueger scored unanswered goals in a span of a little more than seven minutes bridging the second and third periods Wednesday for the Vancouver Canucks, who helped their playoff chances and dented the hopes of the New York Islanders with a 5-2 win in Elmont, N.Y.

Kiefer Sherwood opened and closed the scoring while also logging an assist for the Canucks (34-26-12, 80 points), who moved within three points of the St. Louis Blues in the race for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Thatcher Demko made 26 saves for the Canucks, who have won two straight despite the absence of the injured Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander.

Casey Cizikas had a goal and an assist and Tony DeAngelo also scored for the Islanders (32-29-10, 74 points), who missed a chance to tie or move past the idle Montreal Canadiens in the chase for the last Eastern Conference wild-card position.

Ilya Sorokin recorded 15 saves of 19 shots before being pulled following Blueger's goal early in the third. Marcus Hogberg stopped all five shots he faced as the Islanders lost their third straight game (0-1-2).

The Islanders outshot the Canucks 10-5 during a scoreless first period before Sherwood redirected a shot by Quinn Hughes at 2:39 of the second. Cizikas scored a short-handed goal at 5:35 of the middle frame for a 1-1 tie.

New York took the lead on a four-on-four goal with 11 minutes left in the second period. DeAngelo buried the rebound of Pierre Engvall's shot off Cizikas in the crease.

Raty began the decisive flurry with 6:01 remaining in the second when he got his stick on a shot by Marcus Pettersson. Forbort scored the game-winner with 22.9 seconds left in the frame, taking a pass from Jake DeBrusk and immediately firing a shot from the left faceoff circle beyond Sorokin's glove.

Blueger doubled the lead in similar fashion 1:05 into the third, when he took a pass from Conor Garland in the left faceoff circle and again beat Sorokin glove side.

The Islanders pulled Hogberg with less than four minutes left, but Sherwood iced the win by scoring an empty-netter with 1:52 left.

--Field Level Media