Islanders' Playoff Hopes Dwindle with Costly Loss to Canucks

A 5-2 defeat marks New York's third straight loss, leaving them one point out of the final wild-card spot with 11 games remaining.

The Islanders suffered a 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, missing a chance to overtake the Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference wild-card playoff position.
New York has now dropped three consecutive games (0-1-2), highlighting ongoing struggles with defensive lapses, goaltending, and power play inefficiency.
Goaltender Ilya Sorokin was pulled early in the third period after allowing four goals on 19 shots, including two stoppable goals that widened Vancouver's lead.
The Canucks capitalized on a seven-minute, three-goal surge spanning the second and third periods, with contributions from Aatu Raty, Derek Forbort, and Teddy Blueger.
Despite missing key players Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander, Vancouver's Thatcher Demko made 26 saves, stifling the Islanders' offensive opportunities.