Isles top Canucks, snap 3-game skid

Tom Kuhnhackl scored two unusual goals to lead the Islanders to a 5-2 win over the Canucks on Tuesday night at Barclays Center.

“We definitely didn’t have the start we wanted,” Kuhnhackl said. “After they scored that first goal we had a great response throughout that first period. We knew they were going to have a push in the second period. We just had to weather the storm.”

Jordan Eberle had a goal and an assist and Josh Bailey also scored to help the Islanders end a three-game skid. Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson (who got his 200th career point) each had two assists and Thomas Greiss stopped 22 shots as the Islanders improved to 50-2 in their last seven meetings against Vancouver.

Brendan Leipsic had a goal and an assist, and Jake Virtanen also scored for the Canucks, who have lost two straight after a 40-2 stretch. Jacob Markstrom, starting for the ninth straight game with Anders Nilsson injured, finished with 29 saves.

Kuhnhackl got his second of the game at 3:26 of the third period as Eberle’s pass from the right corner deflected off Kuhnhackl’s stick, a Vancouver defenseman’s stick, and then Kuhnhackl’s skate and in to push the Islanders’ lead to 4-2. The goal stood after a video review, giving Kuhnhackl his first career multi-goal game.

Earlier he had tied the score at 1-apiece as he swiped a backhander from his knees while falling down below the left circle, and the puck managed to sneak in between Markstrom’s right pad and the post at 5:11.

Cal Clutterbuck scored a power-play goal with 2:54 left, the Islanders’ first in four games with the manadvantage.

Trailing 3-1 after one period, the Canucks pulled within one on a power-play goal early in the second as Virtanen knocked in a rebound in front for his eighth of the season at 2:51.