Sherwood scores twice, Demko’s 26 saves and more: 3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks won 5-2 over New York Islanders

The Vancouver Canucks got a big 5-2 win over the New York Islanders on Wednesday night at UBS Arena. With the win, the Canucks extend their current streak to two wins, while keeping their playoff hopes alive in the Western Conference.

Kiefer Sherwood scored twice for the Canucks, with Aatu Raty, Derek Forbort and Teddy Blueger getting the other tallies. Meanwhile, Casey Cizikas (SHG) and Tony DeAngelo scored for the Islanders.

Here’s a closer look at three reasons why the Vancouver Canucks won over the New York Islanders on Wednesday night.

3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks won 5-2 over New York Islanders

#3. Solid penalty kill

The Canucks faced just two shorthanded situations in the game. However, they were complicated ones as they both came in the third period with Vancouver clinging to a two-goal lead.

Ultimately, the Canucks did a good job of killing off both penalties, leaving the Islanders unable to get back into the game.

#2. Demko’s 26 saves

Vancouver's starting goaltender Thatcher Demko played a huge role in keeping the Islanders in check on Wednesday night.

While Demko didn’t face a large volume of shots, he needed to be sharp, particularly in the third period when the Islanders pushed to tie the game. Moreover, Demko faced two shorthanded situations down the stretch.

Additionally, Demko got a couple of lucky bounces. One such bounce was a shot that Islanders forward Pierre Engvall rang off the crossbar. The shot had beaten Demko, but hit the iron and rebounded out.

His solid performance earned him the game’s third star. More importantly, he provided the reliable goaltending the Canucks have come to expect from their Vezina-caliber netminder.

#1. Sherwood scored twice

Kiefer Sherwood had a terrific game for the Canucks. He notched two goals to lift his club past the Islanders.

Here’s a look at Sherwood’s first goal:

He also did a great job of redirecting a shot from Quinn Hughes past Isles’ goaltender Ilya Sorokin. The goal opened the scoring in the first. While the Islanders would take a 2-1 lead, the Canucks did a great job of coming back.

Here's a look at Sherwood’s second of the night, an empty-netter that iced the win for the Canucks:

The 5-2 marker helps keep Vancouver in the hunt for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot.

The Canucks visit the Columbus Blue Jackets next at Nationwide Arena on Friday night.