By most metrics, the Vancouver Canucks are a better team than the New York Islanders. They have a better record (8-4-3 vs 7-6-4), a better offense (3.13 goals per game vs 2.65 goals per game), and they might not have a better scoring defense (3.20 vs 3.06), but they have a better defensive unit. None of that mattered in the matchup on Nov. 14 between the two teams.
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The Islanders put together their best performance of the season, stomping the Canucks in a 5-2 win that wasn’t close after the first period. The big takeaway was that the Islanders have a top line that can carry the offense, with Bo Horvat centering a line with Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau on the wings. They combined for two goals and three assists while stepping up in all situations.
The other notable takeaway from the game was how head coach Patrick Roy had the Islanders playing. The team played great across the board and was dominant against a Canucks roster that looks capable of competing for the Stanley Cup. Roy finally has his signature game as the coach of the Islanders.
Roy Has The Islanders Ready to Play
The Islanders looked great on both ends of the ice. The offense was clicking with five goals and at least one goal in each period, while the defense was suffocating, allowing only six shots through the first two periods and allowing only two goals. The team’s strong play in all three zones allowed the Islanders to put together a decisive victory, leading by two or more goals for 37 minutes.
The game also checked all the boxes of a well-coached team. The defensive structure, the minimal mistakes and overall discipline, the effective passes, and the skaters near the net to finish scoring chances showed that they were coached up for this game. The Islanders didn’t have the better roster, but they came prepared to upset one of the best teams in the league.
The Islanders have played this way since the moment Roy took over as head coach. They have exceeded expectations, securing the third-best record in the Metropolitan Division last season and being in the middle of the division in 2024-25. This game showed Roy can coach his way against a great team with a great coach on the other side.
Roy Wins Coaching Duel Against Tocchet
Rick Tocchet has established himself as one of the best coaches in the NHL. He was hired halfway through the 2022-23 season and has the Canucks playing balanced and disciplined hockey. It’s why they finished last season with the best record in the Pacific Division, and Tocchet was the Jack Adams Award winner.
The latest game, even with the Canucks outplayed, was another reminder of why Tocchet is a great coach. He challenged an Islanders third-period goal for offside and successfully had it overturned. Likewise, even as the game was getting out of reach, he had the Canucks battling until the final horn sounded.
That said, Roy outcoached him. The Islanders combated the Canucks’ speed and puck movement with structured defense and by playing the blue line, preventing them from entering the offensive zone with the puck and setting up an attack. Additionally, Roy kept the defensive pairings balanced, with the third pair playing a greater role while the top two defensemen, Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock, played less than usual. The move paid off as the game went on, as the defense was fresh and capable of stopping the Canucks throughout the game.
The Islanders took an early lead, and that gave Roy the advantage. However, he didn’t have the Islanders take their foot off the gas as they scored twice in the third period, including into an empty net to close out the dominant performance.
Roy Can Put Himself in the Jack Adams Discussion
The Islanders entered the season with lots of question marks. Depth was an issue, and their star players, while good, weren’t good enough to carry the team. As the season began, the roster was ravaged by injuries. Yet, somehow, they are in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings. That’s a credit to Roy, who’s getting the most out of his players.
If this team makes the playoffs, Roy will have a strong case to win the Jack Adams Award. This requires the Islanders to make the playoffs, which is far from a given, and the Winnipeg Jets, who are off to a historic start, must struggle in the second half (a 60-win season all but seals the award for Scott Arniel). However, Roy can put himself in the conversation.
The recent game, and the last five games for that matter, have proven that the Islanders have one of the best coaches in the league. The hope is that he can get his team over the hump. They are in a playoff discussion because of Roy, and when key skaters return from injury, notably Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech, the goal is for them to be in the Stanley Cup discussion.
