VANCOUVER - Vancouver Canuck backup Eddie Lack celebrated his 27th birthday Monday with a variation of last summer’s ice bucket challenge. Only Eddie didn’t know about it.

At the conclusion of Monday’s practice, the team posed for an apparent impromptu photo with Lack up front and in the middle. Then rookie Bo Horvat doused him. Splash! Happy birthday, big guy, you’ve just been pranked.

“That was good,” said a smiling Lack after he peeled off his water-soaked equipment.

What would be better, though, is another start for the Canucks’ No. 2 netminder. His last game was Dec. 17 against Dallas, a 2-0 loss. The natural spot to insert Lack would be Thursday against the Florida Panthers with old pal Roberto Luongo at the other end, assuming Luongo is good to go after his on-ice collision Sunday with Washington captain Alex Ovechkin.

(The Panthers did recall goalie Sam Brittain from ECHL Cincinnati on Monday, although that may be due to regular Panther backup Al Montoya back home with his wife expecting.)

Lack was planning to meet Luongo following the Canucks’ Monday practice as the Panthers arrived in Vancouver on Sunday night.

“I know he’s having lunch with a couple of guys but I still have family in town so I think I’m going to go over and give him a nice, big hug and say ‘hi’ to him,” Lack said.

Asked if he would like to face Bobby Lou on Thursday, Lack replied:

“God, leave me alone. I mean, I would like it. I would like to play (Tuesday) too. So we’ll see.”

It might be a better choice than facing the New York Islanders, who lit him up for six third-period goals in a 7-4 loss last season, a debacle in which the Canucks led 3-0 after 40 minutes.

“I knew that question was going to come, too,” Lack responded, chuckling. “Really, on my birthday. I mean, yeah. That was probably the worst game of my pro career so it was something during the summer, when I was working out, it gave me more motivation and stuff like that. Obviously it’s something I want one more shot at. I was a pretty big contributor to that collapse, for sure.”

JOHNNY BE GOOD: Canuck coach Willie Desjardins was an assistant under the late Pat Quinn when Canada captured the 2009 world juniors and John Tavares, the Islander captain, was the tournament MVP. Desjardins was impressed with Tavares then and he’s more impressed with him now.

“He was pretty good (in ’09) but now he’s really, really good,” Desjardins said. “He’s just moved to another level. You always thought he’d be a good player but maybe his skating wouldn’t be quite good enough.

“He worked at his game to get to this next level. He has always really been gifted, he wants to win and he always plays hard to win. So those are pretty good qualities.”

Tavares, 24, leads the Isles in goals (17) and points (36). He has scored seven times on the power play and averages 20:26 of ice time per outing. It is already his sixth year in the league.

QUOTABLE: “I’m totally happy with Linden Vey. I think he’s a way better player now than he was at the start of the year. He’s better defensively and he’s better offensively. He didn’t have a great game against L.A. and basically it was just a really bad time to have an average game because I was looking for a time to get Zack Kassian in the lineup.” -- Desjardins on benching Vey for the Detroit game. Vey appears to be the odd-man out again Tuesday night as he was skating as a defenceman in Monday’s line rushes.

WHO'S NEXT ... CANUCKS VS. ISLANDERS

RECENT FORM

The Canucks are on a 4-1-1 run but have been hot and cold since returning from their Christmas break, losing one, winning one, losing one and then winning their most recent outing Saturday, 4-1 over Detroit. The surprising Islanders, who are tied for the league lead in victories (26), are coming off a stunning 5-2 loss Sunday night to the sad-sack Edmonton Oilers. Prior to that, they had won three straight over Calgary, Winnipeg and Washington. The Isles are 12-8-1 on the road.

WHO’S HOT?

Henrik Sedin has five points in his last three games (2-3-5) while brother Daniel also has five in his last three (0-5-5). Radim Vrbata has goals in three straight and four points in his last three. The Canucks’ power play is six for 12 in the last five games and was ranked ninth in the league before Monday’s lone game. Islanders captain John Tavares, above, has nine points in his last seven games (5-4-9). Goalie Jaroslav Halak is 18-3-0 in his last 21 decisions.

WHO’S NOT?

Canucks centre Nick Bonino has no goals in seven games and one goal in 23. Linemate Chris Higgins, above, has one goal in 14 games. Shawn Matthias has one goal in nine games. Jannik Hansen has one goal in 15 games since netting a hat trick against the Blackhawks, although he does have five assists during that span. Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck has no goals in nine games while Matt Martin has no points in eight games.

HEAD TO HEAD

This is the first of two meetings between the teams. Last season, the Canucks and Islanders split their two-game series with the Canucks winning 5-4 in overtime in New York and the Islanders whipping the Canucks 7-4 at Rogers Arena last March 10, seen above, when the John Tortorella-coached Canucks were in the midst of their free fall. The Canucks were up 3-0 after two periods in that debacle and then surrendered seven third-period goals on just 15 shots, the final one into an empty net.

QUOTABLE

“I think them getting Halak, Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy have really helped them, but I think each year you could see the emergence of that team into a really good team. John Tavares is dominant and has really turned into a great player and I think that team follows his lead.” — Canucks forward Shawn Matthias, above, who spent most of his career in the Eastern Conference, on the resurgent Islanders franchise.

Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun

epap@vancouversun.com