Bo Horvat’s first game against the Vancouver Canucks as captain of the New York Islanders comes with a little hockey oddity baked right in. He’s now the third former Canuck to wear the “C” for the Islanders, joining Trevor Linden and Mike Peca on that unusual list.
On Tuesday night, Horvat will see his old team for the first time with the captain’s patch on his sweater, and he made clear the moment still carries weight.
“To say you were a captain of two NHL teams is obviously super humbling, and I’m very grateful for that,” said Horvat after Tuesday’s morning skate. “My time in Vancouver, it was special to me and my family.
The community still means a lot to me, and the fan base. To have that same kind of passion here, and the fan support and the community support here as a captain, it’s a full-circle moment for sure.”
Horvat has been one of the Islanders’ bright spots early, piling up four goals and six points in five games. The results around him haven’t matched that pace, though, with New York winning just two of its first five.
The Canucks, meanwhile, are trying to steady a lineup that still looks very much in flux. Their top line has given them something real to build on, with Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Lekkerimäki continuing to find the net. Beyond that, it’s been a moving target.
According to The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, Vancouver is expected to go with these forward combinations against the Islanders:
Jake DeBrusk - Elias Pettersson - Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Paul Cotter - Marco Rossi - Linus Karlsson
Liam Öhgren - Drew O’Connor - Brock Boeser
Arshdeep Bains - Max Sasson - Brendan Gallagher
Aatu Räty is out again, while the bigger adjustment comes on the blue line. After a strong showing against the New York Rangers, Elias “D-Petey” Pettersson has been elevated to the top pair alongside Filip Hronek.
That’s a notable bump for Pettersson, who has been building momentum lately but mostly in a third-pair role. Now he gets a tougher assignment and more ice time.
It also means a change for Hronek, who has spent most of the season with Zeev Buium. That pairing hasn’t clicked the way Vancouver needs it to, with the two struggling defensively and offering little in the other direction. The Canucks are clearly hoping Pettersson’s steadier play can help Hronek settle in.
The rest of the defence is being reshuffled as well. Jamie Oleksiak is back in the lineup and will pair with Tom Willander, while Buium moves down next to Luke Schenn, a tandem that spent much of training camp together.
There’s also a special teams tweak. When Vancouver worked through its power-play groups, Buium was taken off the second unit, leaving Willander as the lone defenceman on PP2 against New York.
The expected starters are Leevi Meriläinen in goal for the Canucks and Ilya Sorokin for the Islanders. Kevin Lankinen gave up six goals again in the Rangers game, opening the door for Meriläinen to get the nod.
New York is coming off a 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but it should be fresher than Vancouver, with two days between games. The Canucks are in the tougher spot physically, playing their third game in four nights.
Newsday’s Andrew Gross projected the Islanders’ lineup as follows:
Emil Heineman - Bo Horvat - Kyle Palmieri
Brayden Schenn - Calum Ritchie - Viktor Eklund
Ondrej Palat - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Anthony Duclair
Matias Maccelli - Casey Cizikas - Simon Holmstrom
Logan Stanley - Matthew Schaefer
Adam Pelech - Ryan Pulock
Tony DeAngelo - Scott Mayfield
Adam Pelech missed Monday’s practice for maintenance, but is expected to play. Sorokin is likely to start, making his fifth appearance in six games. Despite a 2-2-0 record, he has posted a .937 save percentage.
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