News Canucks Team Notes

[Vancouver Canucks]

Blackfish: Max Sasson on fire, CHL playoffs kick off, and a Tom Willander update

Welcome back to the Blackfish Prospect report.

It’s a wonderful time in prospect land. The Vancouver Canucks‘ American League affiliates are well on their way to securing an AHL playoff spot, thanks to an incredible month of March. NCAA prospects have begun to sign their tickets with the Canucks, while others are on the verge. And finally, the remaining crop is about to kick off their road to the Memorial Cup.

Buckle in for another jam-packed report here at CanucksArmy.

Abbotsford Canucks​

The train may be slipping off the tracks in Vancouver, but it’s smooth sailing down on the farm.

With a two-game sweep in Manitoba, the Abbotsford Canucks are now enjoying a seven-game winning streak, which has propelled them up the standings to sit in third place among the Pacific Division – three points shy of second.

Max Sasson and Arshdeep Bains continue to lead the charge, combining for seven more points in two games.

A salute must be made to Max Sasson, the hottest player in the AHL during their seven-game stretch.

With another four points over the weekend, he now has 10 points in seven games. The best part is that they come in various forms.

Max Sasson slips the puck through to Arshdeep Bains, who finds Tristen Nielsen for the open net finish. pic.twitter.com/HpG6OZ91ln

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) March 22, 2025

From slick dishes to timely goals, Sasson has been extremely effective down the stretch. This “clutchness” also extends to the penalty kill, which he recently added to his repertoire on the farm.

Oh, and of course, there is his overtime goal, where he circled around until he found the moment to strike.

MAX. SASSON.

That's the game in Manitoba and SEVEN straight for the Abbotsford #Canucks. pic.twitter.com/nzYtPZJ41g

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) March 23, 2025

We have to give some flowers to Ty Mueller, who also picked up four points over the weekend, including a late insurance goal for his ninth goal of the season. He also led the team with seven shots in those two games.

Nikita Tolopilo stopped 24 of 26 shots for his third consecutive victory. He's allowed just four goals on 86 shots in that time.

A three assist game for Max Sasson, as the Abby #Canucks earn their sixth straight win in Manitoba. pic.twitter.com/1VTSoUjYYQ

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) March 22, 2025

With 33 points for his rookie campaign, he’s right on pace with most of the team, with the second-highest point total (Christian Wolanin) sitting at 35 points.

Speaking of flowers, how about this beautiful move from Danila Klimovich for his team-leading 22nd goal of the season?

Danila Klimovich shows off his smooth hands for his 22nd pic.twitter.com/WsyztLAylU

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) March 22, 2025

That’s the move of a confident prospect. Yowza.

Finally, Jett Woo, who left early and missed one game last weekend, was back in action and picked up an assist over the weekend.

The real flowers are in net, where both Nikita Tolopilo and Ty Young have split duties during this seven-game heater.

Tolopilo made 24 of 26 saves for this third straight win, and while Young gave up four on 33 shots, he still had a terrific outing and his fourth consecutive AHL victory.

With a healthy Thatcher Demko, there is a good chance that Arturs Silovs will drop back down to Abbotsford. Unfortunately, that likely leaves Ty Young as the odd man out. It’s a shame, as he’s played very well during his stay and likely deserves to finish what he’s started.

If that’s the case, you won’t have to wait long to see him back in Abbotsford. He’s cemented himself as a fixture on this team for next year. There are NO questions about it.

CHL​

The regular season is over, and first-round matchups have officially been set. Here’s what you need to know.

Although a strong team, the Barrie Colts enter the playoffs in a very tight Conference. For reference, seeds two (Barrie) through five all wrapped up their seasons tied with 88 points, just five back of the first-place seed.

Luckily, the Colts finished atop their division, giving them a relatively easy opponent in round one, the Niagara Ice Dogs.

Game one of that series goes on Thursday, March 27, at 4:00 pm PT.

As for the players, the two Canucks’ representatives come in sporting polar opposite forms.

Anthony Romani enters the playoffs red-hot and is one of the highest producers in recent weeks. He wrapped up his final week with another four points (two goals, two assists) in two games to cap off a point-per-game draft-plus-one season.

That is all thanks to a terrific run of 20 points in his final 12 games of the season.

As expected, he will play a massive role in Barrie’s playoff success in hopes of a long Memorial Cup run.

As for Riley Patterson, his finish sang a different tune. Despite a very strong mid-season, he wraps things up in a slump with just one assist through his final eight games.

He finishes with a near identical point-per-game clip (slightly higher) as he did in his draft-eligible and rookie seasons, firing at a 92-percent clip with 59 points in 64 games.

Despite the slow finish, he still finished second on Barrie with 25 goals, second in assists with 34, and tied for the team lead in points with 59.

The Brampton Steelheads finished dead smack in the middle of the Eastern Conference and will have their work cut out for them with their opponent, the Oshawa Generals.

Game one of that series will take place on Friday, March 28, at 5:00 pm PT.

Unfortunately, Vilmer Alriksson continues to nurse an upper-body injury, and his playoff status remains unclear.

Despite missing a good chunk of games in the back half of the season, he did create new highs in many fewer games. In 43 games, he finishes with 15 goals and 35 points, breaking the 33 in 67 games that he posted in his draft-plus-one season.

While those aren’t necessarily numbers to get excited about, he brings so much more to the table than his ledger. Vancouver staff should be excited to sink their teeth into his development, likely the moment his OHL season is over and done with – assuming he’s healthy enough to do so.

Over in the Western League, dates and times are set, and things will kick off on Friday for both of the Canucks’ skaters.

Obviously, the talk of the town is Sawyer Mynio over in Calgary.

With another goal and pair of assists this week, he wraps his final junior regular season at nearly a point-per-game with 45 points (14 goals, 31 assists) in 49 games played.

Wake up, babe.

A new Mynio-bomb just dropped pic.twitter.com/e0Dhbttzlc

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) March 20, 2025

That wraps up an incredibly strong couple of years post-draft for the young defender. Since being drafted 89th overall in 2023, the defender has now scored 30 goals, 68 assists for 98 points, and 132 penalty minutes in just 112 games.

He will play a major role in a Calgary Hitmen run, which they hope will take them all the way to the Memorial Cup in Rimouski. They certainly have the roster to make that run.

Game one of their series goes on Friday, March 28, at 5:00 pm PT.

Over in Edmonton, the Oil Kings will take on the Prince Albert Raiders. As anticipated, Parker Alcos did not light up the scoresheet by any means but upped his role and played solid minutes for his squad.

He finishes his draft-plus-one season with 13 points in 57 games, two fewer points than his rookie season in 10 fewer games. We are excited to see what his third year in Junior brings next season.

Game one of that series also runs on Friday at 5:00 pm PT.

Finally, we go to Quebec, where Basile Sansonnens is gearing up for a long run. As hosts, they are guaranteed a spot in the Memorial Cup tournament.

Rimouski opens its first round against Charlottetown on Friday at 4:00 pm PT.

Statistics have never been his forte, so his 12 points in 54 games shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

What we love is that plus/minus number. Finding a comfortable spot on Rimouski’s second pair, he finished as a plus-21 in his rookie season. He’s a shutdown defender by definition, so a strong plus/minus is always a reassuring measure.

Newly drafted players aside, Sansonnens represents one of the few names that will represent the Canucks at the World Juniors next season. Sad.

NCAA​

After a thrilling quarterfinals victory over UMass the week before, Boston University did not advance past the quarterfinals of the Hockey East Championship, losing 5-2 to UConn.

Of course, that just means Tom Willander is inching closer to his potential signing with the Vancouver Canucks. Despite the loss, Willander was fine. He was on the ice for just one goal against, which was in the final moments with the netminder pulled.

Aiden Celebrini, on the other hand, scored a terrific goal in the game’s dying moments, snapping a hard shot to the far side. It wasn’t nearly enough to mount a comeback, but it’s nice to see him find one, regardless.

Aiden Celebrini scores in the final seconds of the quarterfinal match!

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be enough as BU gets eliminated by a 5-2 final.

They will wait a week before participating in the National Tournament, with regionals running in late March. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/zAxC6t5tBm

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) March 20, 2025

Despite the loss, BU punched a ticket into the NCAA National tournament, placing them in the Toledo division. We wrote about the tournament already, but here are the details you need to know:

“The tournament features 16 seeded teams split across four regional sites: Allentown, Pennsylvania; Fargo, North Dakota; Toledo, Ohio; and Manchester, New Hampshire.

Following a single-elimination format, one team will emerge victorious from each regional to advance to the coveted Frozen Four.

The Terriers, boasting Canucks prospects Tom Willander and Aiden Celebrini, have been placed in the Toledo bracket alongside Michigan State, Ohio State, and Cornell University.

BU’s first match is against Ohio State, scheduled for Thursday, March 27th, at 11:00 a.m. PT in Toledo, Ohio.

A victory in this opening game will propel BU to the Toledo finals (likely March 29), where they will face the winner of the Michigan State-Cornell matchup. The successful team from Toledo will then secure a spot in the Frozen Four finals, set to take place in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 10 and 12.”

Willander watch is nearly upon us.

Speaking of NCAA signings, the Canucks, both Vancouver and Abbotsford, landed some deals this week. First was goaltending prospect Aku Koskenvuo, who officially signed his Entry-level contract and is now a full-fledged member of the Vancouver Canucks’ system.

He posted an 8-9-1 record across those 20 games, posting a 2.81 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage, and one shutout.

After three years at Harvard, the 2021 137th overall (fifth-round) pick posted a 14-16-5 record, with a 2.91 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage, and three shutouts.

It’s unclear what Aku’s true pathway will be. But given Abby’s jam-packed crease, it would be wise to assume split roles in Kalamazoo for now.

In Abbotsford, Jackson Kunz signed a one-year AHL deal that will run through the 2025-26 season. He will join the team immediately on a professional tryout contract.

The 6-foot-3, 227-pound forward plays a rugged game built on causing havoc at the net front. He’s tough to move out of the paint, boxes opponents out, and creates a tough space for the netminder to do their work in.

As an AHL-signed kid with little NHL upside, he slides off our Blackfish roster, but he’ll be a name to keep an eye on over the next few years to see where his game tracks.

Sweden​

Over in Farjastad, they have finally commenced their playoff run after receiving a bye straight into the quarterfinals.

They are currently taking on Linus Karlsson’s former team, Skelleftea, where they are tied 1-1 in the series. Lucas Forsell has been banished to the 13th forward role in both games.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/blackfish-max-sasson-fire-chl-playoffs-kick-off-tom-willander-update

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Dave Hall talks Canucks draft targets, Lekkerimäki’s rise, and more: Canucks Conversation

On today’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal were joined by prospect scout Dave Hall to discuss Jonathan Lekkerimäki’s impressive play, his future in Vancouver, and potential draft targets for the Canucks.

The discussion kicked off with Lekkerimäki’s strong game against the New Jersey Devils, where he scored a five-on-five goal and netted the shootout winner.

“His game was unreal,” said Hall. “It’s funny because he still plays sub-10 minutes, but just look at what he does when he’s given the opportunity. He’s ice cold. That’s what he does; he’s an offensive contributor. I’ve been harping for him to get minutes. I want him to be in Vancouver; that’s obviously the game plan here, but if you’re not going to use him in a spot where he’s going to do stuff like that, what’s the point of having him? Tocchet said postgame he’s got to find more minutes for him, and he’s completely right.”

Hall praised Lekkerimäki’s ability to find open ice and create scoring chances.

“The one thing you love about Lekkerimäki is even when he’s not scoring goals, he’s always trying to find an open spot to score. On his goal last night, he lurks in the darkness, cuts through out of nowhere, and finds the one open pocket. His ability to shoot from that off-angle as a right-handed shot is also really impressive.”

With the Canucks struggling to generate offence, Hall believes Lekkerimäki should have a bigger role, especially on the power play.

“He’s come as advertised and just needs more minutes, especially with the injuries happening right now. I think he also needs to be on PP1; he’s constantly moving and making things happen, moves the puck quick, and at this point, what are we doing not having him there? They need goal scoring, and he’s the guy to do that.”

The guys then moved on to draft targets. With the Canucks expected to pick in the mid-to-late first round, Hall outlined a few players he believes would be strong fits for Vancouver.

“Jake O’Brien is at the top of my list based on where they’re likely going to be picking for various reasons,” Hall said. “He’s 6’2″, a little bit on the slighter side, but he’s still so young and is one of those wildcards who, if he can gain 20 pounds in the next couple of years, could be the best pick in that 10-20 range. He’s one of the best playmakers in the entire draft class, so if he can get that 25-pound push in the next couple of years, he has real solid potential. Right-shot centre as well.”

Hall emphasized that while drafting the best player available is typically the best strategy, positional need should play a role in the Canucks’ decision.

“In drafts, I’m typically pushing for them to draft the best player available, but in this year’s case, I think the Canucks have to push for a forward and preferably a right-shot centre. The cupboards are barren there, so that’s one of my guys.”

Another option he highlighted was Caleb Desnoyers.

“If not O’Brien, Caleb Desnoyers is another guy who, like O’Brien, is on the taller side but has some filling out to do. A physical specimen who’s all over the ice, so he’s another guy I like.”

Hall also brought up Braeden Cootes from the Seattle Thunderbirds as another intriguing right-shot center option.

“Braeden Cootes is another real fun guy fans would have a nice time with, who’s another right-shot centre. Those are the three I’d be targeting first for the Canucks.”

If Vancouver opts to go with a defenseman, Hall mentioned Kashawn Aitcheson as a strong candidate.

“If you have to go defense, Kashawn Aitcheson is a guy from the Barrie Colts who played with Riley Patterson and Anthony Romani. He’s a nasty defenseman who’s been putting up points.”

With Lekkerimäki’s continued rise and the Canucks eyeing key draft targets, Vancouver has plenty of decisions ahead as they look to build a competitive future.

You can watch the full segment below:

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/dave-h...s-lekkerimakis-rise-more-canucks-conversation

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks Game Day: Looking to keep playoff hopes alive against the Islanders

The Vancouver Canucks (33-26-12) look for a second straight victory on their six game road trip when they visit the New York Islanders (32-28-10) at UBS Arena on Long Island.

Both teams remain within striking distance of a wild card playoff spot in their respective conferences. The Canucks are five points back of St. Louis in the West, while the Isles are just a single point behind Montreal in the East.

What we know​

The Canucks held a full morning skate but details were limited. The club doesn’t have any extra healthy forwards on the road trip, so it will be the same 12 skaters up front that beat New Jersey 4-3 in a shootout on Monday. After being a healthy scratch the past two games, it’s possible Elias Pettersson returns to the line-up on defence in place of Victor Mancini. The club has stated it doesn’t want either rookie sitting out for long stretches.

Thatcher Demko is expected to get his second straight start in goal. He made 22 saves and three more in the shootout in his first game action in six weeks. Although separated due to injury and the 4 Nations break, Demko has earned the victory in his last three decisions and four of his last five. He is also 3-0 lifetime against the Isles.

The Canucks will once again be without forwards Elias Pettersson, Nils Höglander and Filip Chytil who are sidelined with injuries. That is providing plenty of opportunity for others.

Rookie Jonathan Lekkerimäki scored his third NHL goal and also netted the game winner in the first shootout attempt of his career. The 20-year-old now has five points in 19 career NHL games. His first NHL goal came against the Islanders back in November in just his second big league game.

Pius Suter opened the scoring against the Devils and also had an assist while playing a career-high 23:02. The veteran centre now has five goals and seven points in his last seven games. And he has also matched his career-high with 36 points on the season with 11 games still to play.

Canucks captain Quinn Hughes logged a career-high 31:38 of ice on Monday night. It’s the second time in three games that he’s crested the 30 minute mark after seeing 30:18 of ice in St. Louis last Thursday. Overall, it’s the fourth time this season he’s exceeded 30 minutes of ice time.

While the Canucks have struggled in games decided in overtime (5-11), they have found a knack to win in shootouts. They are 3-1 on the season in the skills competition dropping their first shootout of the season to Philadelphia but winning their last three in Seattle, in Calgary and at New Jersey.

The opponent​

While the Canucks were busy winning 4-3 in a shootout, the Islanders fell 4-3 in a shootout to Columbus on Monday. Pierre Engvall, Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee scored the New York goals while Ilya Sorokin made 27 saves. The Isles are 3-0-3 in their last six games and 7-3-2 in their last 12. They’ve been to overtime in three straight games and four of their last six.

Tonight's projected #Isles lineup vs Vancouver.https://t.co/dgQpr9fWVs

— NHL Rosters (@NHL_Rosters) March 26, 2025

Former Canuck captain Bo Horvat leads the Isles with 49 points while Lee is the team leader with 26 goals. Among players in the league that have taken 600 face-offs this season, Horvat is second only to Ottawa’s Claude Giroux with a 59.6% win rate. As a team, the Isles lead the league winning 54.6% of all draws.

New York has struggled all season on the power play. The team ranks 32nd and last in the NHL operating at just 12.1% with the man-advantage. Through 70 games, Lee and Palmieri share the team lead with just four power plays each. For context, Detroit leads the NHL with 59 power play goals apiece. The Islanders have a league-low 21.

While the Islanders penalty kill ranks 30th in the league at 72.1% (and 31st at home at 68.4%) most of the issues were earlier in the season. Since January 1st the team has the eighth best PK in the league at 81.7%.

Marc Gatcomb who spent the past two seasons playing for the Canucks farm team in Abbotsford has earned a shot with the Isles appearing in 27 games so far this season scoring five times and adding an assist.

The Isles beat the Canucks 5-2 at Rogers Arena on November 14th. The Canucks were outshot 24-6 through 40 minutes. The final shots ended up 32-26 in New York’s favour.

Today’s referees: Jon McIsaac & TJ Luxmore

Today’s broadcasters: John Shorthouse & Dave Tomlinson

Make sure to join the Rink Wide Vancouver postgame live stream immediately following tonight’s game. Rink Wide will provide a full breakdown and comprehensive coverage of the Canucks game. When the final buzzer sounds, be sure to log onto Rink Wide and join the YouTube live chat to discuss the game with other Canucks fans. Subscribe to the Rink Wide YouTube channel and never miss an episode.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...layoff-hopes-alive-against-new-york-islanders

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Instant Reaction: Demko sharp again as Canucks beat Islanders 5-2

Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at CanucksArmy where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Vancouver Canucks game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

This game started with a bang, as Thatcher Demko needed to make his first stop of the night a great one as he robbed Bo Horvat with a right pad save.

Thatcher Demko robs his former captain for his first save of the game!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks #Isles pic.twitter.com/U1SKB650Eq

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 26, 2025

The first period featured two teams on the outskirts of the playoff picture playing to not make a mistake and certainly to not get scored on. Yes, it was a bit of a boring first as both teams tried to lock it down and suffocate the other’s offence.

The Canucks were the worse team at that, but thankfully they had Demko there to bail them out. After Elias Pettersson, the defenceman, got caught deep, Demko robbed Horvat once again after another Islanders 2-on-1 chance.

Thatcher Demko stops Bo Horvat for the second time already in this game!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks #Isles pic.twitter.com/5bIzt18h0R

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 27, 2025

Shortly after, Demko made a tough save look far too easy when he calmly swallowed up a grade-A chance from Anthony Duclair.

Another huge save by Thatcher Demko! He is dialled in right now!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks #Isles pic.twitter.com/GZ24Dl40i1

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 27, 2025

The opening 20 ended in a scoreless tie.

Kiefer Sherwood came out with a vengeance to kick off the second period, opening the scoring in this one quickly.

CANUCKS GOAL

Kiefer Sherwood scores his 16th goal of the season and opens the scoring on Long Island!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks #Isles pic.twitter.com/pG1AAhNK3l

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 27, 2025

1-0 Canucks.

Shortly after, the Canucks got the game’s first power play as Bo Horvat was called for hauling down Derek Forbort. That didn’t go very well.

Quinn Hughes and Jonathan Lekkerimäki had a bit of a miscommunication at the Islanders’ blueline and the result was an off man rush the other way and a shorthanded goal for the home side.

Casey Cizikas scores a short handed goal. It's 1-1

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks #Isles pic.twitter.com/w0qLPiy1ti

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 27, 2025

1-1.

Shortly after, the Islanders took their first lead of the evening. This time, it was a rare bad rebound from Demko that found its way to Tony DeAngelo, who buried a shot past Demko to make it 2-1 Islanders.

Tony DeAngelo puts the Islanders up 2-1

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks #Isles pic.twitter.com/6qOtai2OuW

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 27, 2025

That also didn’t last long, as Aatu Räty was rewarded for some excellent work on the forecheck and in front of the net when he deflected a Marcus Pettersson point shot to tie this one up.

CANUCKS GOAL

Aatu Räty scores against his former team!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks #Isles pic.twitter.com/AbaxlXS38v

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 27, 2025

2-2.

Gotta feel good for the kid there. Just look at the pure elation on his face.

And just as the period was coming to an end, *checks notes* Derek Forbort moved in off the rush and fired one glove side on Sorokin to give the Canucks a lead late in the second.

CANUCKS GOAL

Derek Forbort with a sneaky release beats Ilya Sorokin and gives the Canucks the lead!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks #Isles pic.twitter.com/HlODt48YNq

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 27, 2025

3-2 Canucks.

Teddy Blueger turned that into a two goal lead very early into the third, after a nice feed from Conor Garland in the offensive zone.

CANUCKS GOAL

Teddy Blueger goes off the post and in! It's 4-2 Vancouver!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks #Isles pic.twitter.com/WVSDJIXCMg

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 27, 2025

Sorokin sure was having trouble with the low glove side shots tonight. 4-2 Canucks.

That was it for Sorokin.

With over four minutes remaining, Patrick Roy pulled his goaltender to give the Isles a 6-on-4 advantage while trailing by two goals.

Kiefer Sherwood picked up his third point of the night when he buried the empty netter to put a bow on this one and make it 5-2 Canucks.

CANUCKS GOAL

Kiefer Sherwood picks up his 3rd point of the game with this empty net goal! It's 5-2 Vancouver!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks #Isles pic.twitter.com/WbcqXRwn8E

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 27, 2025

Some more takeaways from tonight:

-Aatu Räty had some great jump in his game tonight. Going to be interesting to see if he can finish this season strong and prove to be a solid bottom six centre for this team. He’s waiver eligible next season, so it’s time.
-Anyone else at least think about a Bo Horvat reunion?
-Who else is excited for MLB Opening Day? Do we have any baseball fans on this site? Mariners fans?
-Derek Forbort has been so steady for the Canucks this season, and is likely my pick for unsung hero.
-To do this without Elias Pettersson (the forward) and Nils Höglander is downright impressive, and these players deserve praise for the commitment they’re showing right now.
-Nice to get some goals from unexpected sources.
-Another great start for Thatcher Demko.
-Not. Dead. Yet. This team doesn’t have many losses left to give if they want to make the playoffs, and with the competition around them continuing to win, all the Canucks can do is keep on winning. The rest is out of their control.

What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below! And be sure to tune into Rink Wide Vancouver moments after the final horn!

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/instan...vancouver-canucks-beat-new-york-islanders-5-2

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

6 positives that will come out of the Canucks’ determined playoff push (whether they make it or not)

Not that Quinn Hughes needs any new remarkable accomplishments on his resume. It’s already pretty loaded. But one recent accomplishment we can add is that he somehow managed to talk about having hope for future seasons without sounding as though he’d given up on this one.

Speaking after the Vancouver Canucks’ comeback victory against the New Jersey Devils earlier this week, Hughes told the press that “We’re going to try to do everything we can to make the playoffs here and I believe we can, but if that doesn’t happen, what we’re building here the next couple years — just the care factor — I’m liking what I’m seeing.”

Seriously, compare that to such ‘there’s always next year’ statements of the past, and it’s really night and day. Hughes manages to be realistic, optimistic, and even a little bit downright inspiring, all in one honest, off-the-cuff statement. Yet another sign of his continuing to develop into a truly capable captain.

And he’s right. The Canucks are going to do everything they can to make the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the odds are decidedly against them. They’re a few points back and chasing the hottest team in the NHL. They traded their top centre and then lost their next best two to injury. Speaking of injuries, their best player, Hughes, is definitely playing through one, as is Thatcher Demko and probably a whole lot of others, too.

Yet, the Canucks continue to push.

Now, there are those for whom the mindset is ‘playoffs or bust.’ That’s a fair headspace after the strong performance of 2024/25 and the expectations that followed. For that crowd, there may be no positives to be gleaned from a postseason push that, inspiring or not, ultimately comes up short.

But for the rest of us, it’s easy to see the wisdom in the captain’s words. This stretch of play, regardless of its outcome, does contain some true nuggets of positivity upon which the Canucks can build in the years to come. Including some very specific things.

Improved Morale, in a Season That Really Tested Team Morale​

We’ll start with the simplest thing that can be taken from what might have to be a moral victory, and that’s morale itself. Look, hockey is an emotional sport – maybe the most emotional of them all – and vibes matter. The vibes around the Canucks for much of 2024/25 have been – for lack of a better term – toxic. But that’s really started to shift over the past couple of weeks.

The Canucks clearly believe that they belong in the playoffs. More than that, however, they’re giving themselves far more of a reason to believe in themselves and in the other players with them in the dressing room than they have at any other point in this year.

There were times throughout 2024/25 when tearing this whole franchise down seemed like the only thing to do. Now, there’s far more reason to hope that next year can be different.

The play of Elias Pettersson (the forward) is a good example of this concept. Does the fact that he finally started playing like his old self, only to immediately suffer a long-term injury, help the Canucks make the playoffs this year? Nope, not really. But it sure helps the team and its fans feel better about its chances next year. And that matters. Why? Think of what the vibe around the team would be heading into the offseason had this late push not occurred. But we’ve got more on that concept a few sections later.

For now, suffice it to say that the “care factor” is not something that Hughes is imagining. It’s real, and it matters.

The Rebuilding of Thatcher Demko’s Value​

Some folks wondered what the point was in rushing Demko back to play if he wasn’t back to full health. And then he reminded everyone that the point was that he was really, really good at goaltending.

Oddly enough, this might be the best Demko’s ever played as a Canuck, Vezina-nominated season included. He’s absolutely standing on his head to try to get the Canucks back into the playoffs, and that can only be a good thing.

The Canucks have already signed Kevin Lankinen to a long-term extension. That’s naturally led to some speculation about an offseason Demko trade. Prior to this run of play, some might have wondered if there was even a market for him out there, or if the Canucks might have to essentially give him away for free. Nobody is wondering that anymore. If Demko can play this well, coming off a season in and out of the lineup, then there will be a market for him. The trade market is, after all, often a ‘what have you done lately’ sort of thing, and the goalie market especially so. If the Canucks look to move him this summer, teams will come calling, and real value will be returned.

Or, on the other hand, the Canucks might decide keep Demko on hand for 2025/26, and platoon him with Lankinen. They’ve got the cap space on hand. And in that scenario, Demko’s play is also a positive, because it probably means he’s ready to assume more of a 1A position than was previously assumed, which sets the Canucks up to have one of the best tandems in hockey heading into next season.

A true win-win.

Future Talent Auditioning in Important Roles at an Important Time​

Late-season auditions for prospects are pretty common in hockey. Often, however, they come on teams that are already out of the playoff picture, playing in games that don’t truly matter.

But that’s not the case for the Canucks and their auditioning youngsters right now.

These are some unique circumstances. The Canucks are making a playoff push during which every game matters, and they’re also battling through some key injuries to an already-thin forward corps.

The end result is the sort of audition conditions that just don’t happen under ordinary circumstances. These young players aren’t just trying out for the team; they’re being tried out in the sorts of roles and responsibilities that the team hopes they’ll be able to take on in the near future.

Players like Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Aatu Räty aren’t just playing; they’re scoring the kinds of big goals that they’ll be counted on for in future seasons. That’s vital on-the-job training, and the fact that the youngsters are handling the pressure so well bodes positively for their development paths.

It’s not just the forwards, either. The shedding of Carson Soucy and Vincent Desharnais in-season opened up space on the blueline for the likes of the other Elias Pettersson and Victor Mancini to step in and step up. Both are contributing positively when in the lineup, again handling high-pressure minutes at the highest level of competitiveness.

Folks no doubt noticed Mancini out on the ice as the Canucks tried desperately to tie the game against his former team, the Rangers. Those types of minutes-that-matter normally aren’t available to emerging prospects at this time of year. But they are on the Canucks.

If and when Tom Willander signs, he’ll enter the lineup not because the season is a lost cause and he might as well, but because the Canucks need the boost he can provide them. That’s just a way better way to start one’s career off than playing Whose Line Is It Anyway? hockey.

Brock Boeser Having Fun Again​

This section isn’t just about how nice it is to see Brock Boeser smiling again, but it could be. It’s been a trying season for someone who is normally a beacon of optimism, and Boeser has definitely shown the emotional wear-and-tear at times. That the team is playing well again, that Boeser himself is playing a leading role, and that the vibes seem to be more positive around the team all seem to have combined to lift a great weight from his shoulders.

But if we’re talking about long-term impact, one could definitely also argue that Boeser having fun again is a positive when it comes to his ongoing contract negotiations. Talks reportedly continue, and while we’re not privy to the details, the fact that Boeser is being reminded of how much he likes playing in Vancouver has to favour the management side of the negotiation, no? At the very least, Boeser is being given one last ‘pitch’ on lessening his demands a little for the sake of staying, and if that results in a more team-friendly contract than he might otherwise have signed, that’s obviously a good thing.

Or, if Boeser does hit the open market, then these clutch goals have definitely earned him an extra million or two, and that’s nice, too. Speaking of which…

Pius Suter and Derek Forbort’s Next Contracts​

If Boeser hits UFA status, his recent play will earn him some extra dough. But that’s even more true for two other pending UFAs in Pius Suter and Derek Forbort.

Suter is getting to play a 1C role on a team desperately pushing for the playoffs, and he’s doing pretty darn well, all things considered. If the Canucks can’t extend him themselves, some other team is going to use this run of play to convince themselves that Suter is their solution at 2C, and he’ll be given a contract in line with that.

In short, these few weeks might just conspire to put some money in Suter’s pocket that wouldn’t otherwise be there.

The same could definitely be said for Forbort, who has been at the centre of the Canucks’ truly dominant run of penalty killing, and who has somewhat miraculously added an element of offence to his game that had been largely absent in his previous 500+ career games.

And, hey, we realize that Suter and Forbort becoming richer this summer isn’t exactly a positive to the Canucks as a franchise. But if individual gains aren’t enough to get you feeling optimistic, there are a couple of ways this can be spun in favour of the home team all the same.

With Forbort, this run of play has greatly increased his odds of re-signing with the Canucks. Hopefully, it hasn’t increased his requested salary in step. But if management was on the fence about the wisdom of extending him, they should be convinced now. And that continuity is probably a good thing. We saw what happened when Ian Cole and Nikita Zadorov left this offseason. If this run of play justifies keeping this blue line intact, then that’s probably for the best.

Alternatively, we can also look at this last burst of energy on the Suter and Forbort contracts as retroactively helping ensure that they’re remembered as true high-value signings. Which doesn’t help the team much moving forward, but does lend more credit to Patrik Allvin and Co.’s offseason work. And managers need confidence and morale, too!

The Prevention of an Offseason Overreaction ​

More than anything, what the Canucks have gained with this late gasp of life is the prevention of any sort of overreaction during the coming offseason.

Hughes is, again, right. The Canucks’ core remains a talented one, led by the best player in franchise history (not that Hughes would ever refer to himself as such.) One bad year should not change that outlook, especially not when said year is one of the strangest in franchise history.

There was a lot of talk about ‘burning it down’ at various points throughout 2024/25. About trading Pettersson and Demko, and, heck, at that point, maybe Hughes, too. Talk about firing Rick Tocchet and staff. Maybe even talk about Allvin and Co. being given their own walking papers.

Such talk has died down. And so, too, has the impetus for the front office to make anything approaching sweeping changes in the offseason.

There’s work to be done, no doubt. But there’s, as Hughes said, also plenty to build on. The blue line is better than it has been in over a decade. Pettersson is showing signs of life again. The goaltending tandem is locked in and rolling. The depth pieces, like Drew O’Connor and Kiefer Sherwood, continue to outperform their contracts.

Add a quality centre and perhaps another winger to this mix, and there’s a lot of reason to think that the 2025/26 season can be much, much different. And that’s just a much better feeling to go into the offseason with than a feeling of drastic change being required.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/6-posi...determined-playoff-push-whether-they-make-not

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks prospect Tom Willander and Boston University Terriers advance in wild NCAA Tournament opener

In a game that will likely be remembered as one of the most hectic contests of the NCAA National Tournament, the Boston University Terriers defeated Ohio State with a resounding 8-3 final.

With the win, Vancouver Canucks prospects Tom Willander and Aiden Celebrini have punched a ticket to the Toledo Regional finals.

TOLEDO IS LOVELY THIS TIME OF YEAR!! pic.twitter.com/DiPx8tkpBw

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) March 27, 2025

After a stellar regular season, the Terriers were placed in the Toledo bracket as the second seed, facing the hometown Ohio State Buckeyes (third seed) in the opening round.

The game began with Ohio State asserting its dominance, outshooting BU 15-2 and taking a 1-0 lead after the first period. In nearly every facet of the game, Ohio’s period was flawless.

However, the Terriers refused to back down.

The second period saw an explosive exchange of goals, with three tallies in a mere 42 seconds, resulting in a 3-3 deadlock heading into the final frame.

Ohio State nearly regained the lead late in the period, but the buzzer saved BU as time expired just before the puck crossed the line.

With some gained confidence heading into the final frame, the third period belonged to the Terriers.

Just two minutes in, Aiden Celebrini rushed down the wing and fired a far-side shot that handcuffed the Ohio State goaltender. That goal not only gave his team their first lead of the entire match, but goals in back-to-back games for the Canuck prospect.

Tom Willander picked up the secondary assist on the play for the elusive Canucks combination.

That goal would stand as the game-winning tally and sparked an incredible run of six unanswered goals as BU erupted offensively to secure the 8-3 victory.

The Terriers now advance to the Toledo finals, set for Saturday, March 29th, at 1:00 PM (PT). In this single-elimination showdown, they will face the winner of the Michigan State vs. Cornell matchup (Thursday afternoon).

A victory will propel BU to the Frozen Four in Minnesota, scheduled for April 10th.

For those on Tom Willander watch, you’ll have to sit tight and wait a little longer.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...-terriers-advance-wild-ncaa-tournament-opener

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Daniel Gee: Breaking down Kirill Kudryavtsev’s translation to Professional Hockey

When you look back at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, it’s easy to see the early returns for the Vancouver Canucks.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki has grown leaps and bounds to become a more engaged and dangerous goal scorer who is flashing a separating ability to score while blending deception with the puck. Elias Pettersson, the left-side defender, is already an AHL allstar pick, seamlessly translating a mobile but bruising game to Canucks. Even goaltending prospect and former fifth-round pick, Ty Young, is finding success tending goal for the organization’s farm teams.

Still, there is another prospect to note from that draft class.

Enter, Kirill Kudryavtsev.

Selected with the 208th selection in the seventh round, Kudryavtsev arrived this season on the back of a stingy, yet creation-focused, Canadian Hockey League career with the Soo Greyhounds – one where he was even voted as the most underrated player of his conference, an honour bestowed in the annual OHL coaches poll.

Now a professional player with the Abbotsford Canucks, Kudryavtsev is nearing the conclusion of an overly successful rookie campaign. A hybrid, left-shot defender who plays both sides of the ice, the Russian product has been adaptable, thrust into high-leverage minutes, blending deft reads and overwhelming disruption.

Second in defenceman scoring with his AHL club, Kudryavtsev’s two-way game and instant translation isn’t the biggest surprise to people who have watched him in the past. That being said, the speed at which it has happened is.

Defending as an AHL Rookie and Kudryavtsev’s adaptation

Often, when defenders take the step from the CHL to the professional game, the process is fraught with new challenges. These aren’t teenagers or early 20-year-old players that you are contending with. For the most part, this is a league of grown men vying for NHL spots – there is even more at stake. The pace at which the game is played is higher, opponents are physically stronger and more detailed, and every advantage possible will be exploited.

While you can project a prospect’s ability to read and disrupt plays to higher levels of hockey by looking at their habits and tools, you never really know how fast that will come. For Kudryavtsev, it’s been instant.

He is essentially Young-hee, a motion-detecting animatronic from Netflix’s Squid Game. Kudryavtsev catches any movement with constant shoulder checks and head swivels, taking that information and building a mental map of the ice. Out of that, his reads this season have been beyond impressive.

An activator streaking through the middle of the ice? Kudryavtsev is already there, checking the release. A cross-zone pass, east-to-west? It’s not surprising to see a deflection off his blade. A backdoor, secondary threat, timing their entry into a pass lane? The former seventh-round pick is usually there to push them off balance.

Throughout Kudryavtsev’s tape this season, proactiveness and details drove his disruptive, play-stopping game.

He targeted sticks, jumped into passing and shooting lanes, even darting out to challenge opponents in open ice, limiting time and space.

Physically, he’s a bulldog around the net and on the perimeter of the ice. While he is a sub-six-foot defender, Kudryavtsev is no lightweight, listed at 200 pounds. He uses his build to create leverage, primarily through his low centre of gravity, getting under opponents to shove them off pucks and mess with their balance. He darts to find inside positioning, widening his base and freeing his stick to make plays in small-area battles and release pressure.

His end-board pins result in trapped feet, leading to board seals, even if he struggles to contain his opponents completely. Kudryavtsev also flashed some ability to combat more slippery opponents, ones who employ cutbacks and punch turns to shake off pressure — a common sight in the NHL game. Quick footwork to match these attackers step-by-step is essential.

Then you get into defending off the rush. In contrast to other left-shot prospects across the Canucks system, Kudryavtsev isn’t the most physically aggressive defender. His play-stopping is centred around his defensive skating and stick work. Switching between an overextended reach and a hidden, pulled-back timed pokecheck, he finds moments to slow up threats, keeping a consistent, steady-footed gap, and other moments to swing on pucks, surprising puck carriers. His timing is higher-end, and he often waits to engage upon the pass reception.

Against trickier attackers who adjust their rush pattern and attack through dynamic lanes, Kudryavtsev simply crosses over to stay in front of the attackers. Part of his effectiveness comes down to his judgment of speed. Deft pivots to create separation, allowing him to get in position and face the puck carrier, are a common sight. He’s not a burner operating through high-activity rate skating and edge work.

Handling Professional-level forecheck

Kudryavtsev is one of the slicker puck retrievers that I have scouted. On rare occasions, he’s sent foreckers flying into the boards by changing the direction of his feet, ultimately manipulating them. On other occasions, Kudryavtsev again leverages scanning to find clearer ringouts and passing lanes. He’s relatively unfazed by physicality, working through it, hoping to find a supporter — shielding is key.

Out of retrievals, he’s relatively simple on the breakout. One and two-line stretch passes, board banks, and the occasional carryout with control are all part of his mix. Nevertheless, Kudryavtsev tends to defer. This is an area of his game that will likely evolve. Breaking out passes in motion will be a key habit going forward, as he did have some static, easy-to-pick-off attempts throughout his tape.

How he continues to generate scoring chances

Kudryavtsev was an analytical darling during his time in the OHL. Elite Prospects’ Mitchell Brown tracked his five-on-five game. He was a 99th-percentile generator of expected goals, a 96th-percentile volume shot taker, and a significant generator of board-to-middle plays.

The good news is that these habits have extended to the professional game. Almost all of Kudryavtsev’s shooting efforts originate in the middle of the ice, mostly off concerted lateral movement off the side boards. He cuts inside, holds pucks at his hip to fend off pressure, and tactically places shots low to create rebounds, redirections, and general chaos.

He flashed some ability to use feints off the blueline to freeze the high-pressure pusher and open pass lanes. In addition, Kudryavtsev blends occasional activation, dropping off his point and working downhill as a weakside target.

With this collection of habits, it wouldn’t be out of the question to expect Kudryavtsev to break out even more offensively in the coming years. It will take opportunity and further leveraging of his deception and shot quality, but the ability is there.

Future and why penciling in players on an NHL roster is fun but fruitless

Penciling prospects into future lineups has always been a fun exercise. It’s armchair GM work — a cornerstone for any obsessed fan. For Kudryavtsev, you could look at his advanced level of play as a rookie, the collection of tools/habits, and project him out as an NHL defender — one that could insulate and generate offence off a bottom pair.

It’s also easy to look at Vancouver’s depth chart and see limited room for the former Greyhound, a path that may mean he’s used as an asset in a trade down the road.

However, this isn’t a realistic exercise simply because of the dynamic nature of NHL roster turnover. Players come and go, some expected and some not. Prospects may excel in one season and find regression in the next. There are so many factors that create opportunity. Vancouver has used 13 defenders this season alone, and the lack of practice time and travel has ravaged the organization in many seasons.

The point is that it’s hard to know what will happen. What we do know is that Kudryavtsev’s projection to the NHL was already strong based on his OHL play, and this rookie AHL season, so far, only strengthens that bet.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/daniel...-kudryavtsevs-translation-professional-hockey

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Stanchies: Aatu Räty’s pair of goals isn’t enough for Canucks in SO loss to Blue Jackets

The Vancouver Canucks are fighting for their playoff lives.

It seems like before every single game, you see a post like this:

Every game is crucial now for the #Canucks. If they win in regulation, their playoff odds jump 7.8% to 27%. If they lose in regulation, their playoff odds dip 8.6% to 10.7%. Huge one against the #CBJ. Odds per @moneypuck.bsky.social

— Noah Strang (@noahstrang.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T17:47:51.645Z

Okay, but what about an OTL?

According to Noah and MoneyPuck, there is a 17% swing in playoff odds for the Canucks with Friday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Blue Jackets started the season off as one of the greatest stories in the NHL with their defiant play in the wake of tragedy. Keeping with MoneyPuck’s odds, prior to Friday’s matchup, the Blue Jackets had a 16% chance at the postseason, whereas not long ago, they looked like they had all but locked a spot up.

The Jackets have gone 2-7-1 in their last 10 games, which is not a way to squeak into the playoffs. Just like most games at this time of year, it felt like a must-win for both teams.

Not only was this a huge match up for each team, but Zack Werenski and Quinn Hughes will go head-to-head as two Norris front runners. It is likely a two-horse race between Werenski and Cale Makar, with Hughes missing games due to injuries. However, it is undisputed that two of the three best defenders in the league this season went head to head Friday night.

Quinn Hughes would end the night with a pair of assists, whereas Werenski had the one. That’s it; Hughes is better. If he doesn’t win the Norris, it’s rigged. The proof is in the pudding.

Shot:

The CBJ inhouse DJ must have the best drugs. Some of the songs they are playing is wild. I've heard Hannah Montana, an Old McDonald remix and a remix of the iPhone ringtone

— Trent Leith (@trentleith.bsky.social) 2025-03-29T00:45:31.498Z

I was far from the only one to notice that the in-house DJ had some… unique taste. I gotta say, though, even this strange mashup of Mickey Mouse and Baby Shark is better than half of what we hear inside Rogers Arena, even if that is an incredibly low bar to clear.

Chaser:

Turns out the DJ may not be on drugs, but may be a child. Woops

— Trent Leith (@trentleith.bsky.social) 2025-03-29T01:13:00.702Z

Big yikes from me, dawg.

Do you know who crushed it tonight, though? The in-arena PA announcer, who was also inexplicably a child. The hype that kid brought was sweet.

Honourary mention to the kid who looked like he was 13 years old but sang the anthems like he was a 55-year-old who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. The kid has pipes.

Get to the Hockey, Trent

Okay, okay, chill.

Boy, was that one hell of a game. The game had ebbs; it had flows. I may even go as far as saying it even had eddies. It started with the Canucks mopping the floor with the Jackets in the first period. It all started with Linus Karlsson scoring his second NHL goal off a beautiful one-touch pass from Kiefer Sherwood.

Sherwood has done a good job getting to the front of the net, and I don’t want to sound like that guy, but it’s true: get to the front of the net, and good things will happen. The real skill on this play came from Sherwood, who threaded a one-touch pass right across the crease to Karlsson’s stick.

This isn’t the last time we will hear about Sherwood tonight. He ended the night with three points and 10 hits – just a classic Sherwood game. Every hit he throws breaks the current record for the most hits in a season.

6: 6 in 6

Boeser added to Sherwood’s early lead with his sixth goal in as many games.

I think it’s safe to say that Brock took the apparent lack of interest at the deadline to heart; he has been on a tear since then. If the Canucks plan on resigning, I reckon they get to it soon.

After Brock’s goal, there was a scrum around the net because of how Hughes was cross-checked to the ice. You never like seeing a guy hit his head on the ice like that, especially when that person is our sweet, sweet Quinn.

Anyways, the Canucks came out of the scrum with a power pl- wait a second. That can’t be right, it says here the Canucks ended the scrum on the penalty kill?

Karlsson allegedly committed an unsportsmanlike crime and wound up with the extra putting the Canucks on the PK.

But the first period fun wouldn’t end there. DeBrusk took it personally when Brock took sole lead on the team with 24 goals, so he got one to match.

Oh, look at that, Boeser got another point on the play.

Get this man a contract!

What Ebbs, Flow

What does it mean to be a #Canucks fan? Drop your memes here. I’ll start

— Andrew (@gusnolly.bsky.social) 2025-03-29T00:33:38.420Z

I’d like to leave the second period recap with that meme, but unfortunately, I have bills to pay and I have to fit some gifs in.

Just 34 seconds into the second, Boone Jenner (great name) got the Blue Jackets on the board.

Blueger played Jenner a little soft in front of the net there. Didn’t do a great job clearing Jenner out of the net front. You don’t love to see that. But it’s okay, the Canucks are still up 3-1!

Psych. Marchenko scored around the five-minute mark.

That was a great pass by Sean Monahan and an equally good shot. It didn’t help that Elias Pettersson (D) had lost his stick.

The last bit of salt in the wound came from Dante Fabbro (also a great name).

Excuse my cursor just lingering on the screen like that. Rookie mistake, I know.

Fabbro picked his spot perfectly from the point with a shot clean through the crowd in front of Lankenin.

Tie game.

Classic Canucks.

Chaos Enters the Chat

My little Chaos Kid before going into her dance class as we listened to the game on the car stereo: "Mark my words Mom. Tyler Myers will score tonight."Chaos Kid knows her man. #Canucks

— Hughes Canucks Fan. Boes Believe It. (@peoplemcnugget.bsky.social) 2025-03-29T00:34:35.934Z

See, the 20024/25 Canucks are so predictable. As soon as the Canucks wen’t up 3-0, fans got nervous. That may be the worst thing that can happen to this version of the Canucks. And we were right, the Jackets came roaring back and tied it just as fast as the Canucks ran away with it.

But Myers is a defender. I don’t mean that as in his role on the team; I mean that as in his true calling. That was the reason he was placed on this planet. His role in whatever higher power has concocted this mess is to defend. To defend the chaos. Status quo will not do for Tyler. Just as we were all breaking out the hard stuff, Tyler did the most unexpected thing possible.

That’s right. A rush goal on the penalty kill. And not only that, but a truly stunning goal at that.

This play starts with Pius Suter on the near boards. Suter tied up his man and allowed the puck to clear the zone. With a head of steam, Sherwood skated onto the puck, expecting to shoot the puck when the tallest man in the world came baraling down the centre of the ice. Sherwood has no choice but to see what happens if he passes it.

Myers receives the puck on his backhand, flicks it up just enough to get over Merzļikins’ glove, and slowly fall into the net.

The shot was so slow that Sherwood had time to skate to the net and almost get a piece of it before it crossed the line. But Tyler knew.

Now seven points in three games for Suter

— Patrick Johnston (@risingaction.bsky.social) 2025-03-29T00:32:39.367Z

And just like that, everything changed. We are in Tyler’s house now. There are no rules.

That’s why there was no penalty on this hit on Myers.

There was a real “get ’em boys” energy to this hit. I kinda loved it

There were two more good chances I wanted to highlight in the final moments of the second.

First up, Teddy Blueger.

He displayed good body position to get a quick release off, but a good positional play by Elvis to keep the deficit to one.

Oh, and I am pretty sure that was my boy Sherwood who made the pass.

Nex up, ol’ reliable Corola Garland.

A good shot off the rush, and he circles back, finds space and lets another shot fly. He was looking top corner but unfortunately missed. But a strong sequence regardless.

All Bets Are Off

The third period was wild. Despite the disappointing finish, it was an absolute joy to watch. As long as you were adequately self-medicated, that is.

We at home started to believe when Aatu Räty scored with 13 minutes remaining to make it 5-3.

Off the rush, Räty uses the defender as a screen to change his angle and beat Merzlikins clean for his fourth goal of his 24-game season.

However, the chaos poured on when roughly 21 seconds later Mateychuk scores to bring it back within one.

That was in and out faster than the one friend who got pressured into doing the Polar Bear Plunge even though he didn’t want to. But he also has extreme FOMO, so they went and participated in the bare minimum.

Less than a minute later, Justin Danforth scored to tie the game for a second time.

However, Eagle-eyed Tocchet saw a no-no.

Mathieu Olivier clearly got in Lankinen’s way trying to move across the crease.

Phewph, 5:4

But Wait!

Boone Jenner! (Said like Mr. Turner says “Dinkleberg!” in Fairly Odd Parents.)

Six seconds into a power play, Jenner tips his second goal of the night in.

But Wait, Again!

I surely thought Tocchet would try for another challenge.

Watch Lankinen’s left leg. Jenner clearly makes contact in the crease, and usually, that’s all it takes to get a goal overturned, especially if the goal happens on the same side of the body where the contact was made.

However, Eagle-eyed didn’t push his luck and let this one stand. Did he have another angle? Did he not want to risk a delay of game penalty? Some say we will never know.

Five all.

A mere 26 seconds later, Olivier would get his revenge with a 6-5 dagger with less than three minutes remaining.

But Wait Again, Again!

Our sweet boy Aatu Räty scored his third goal in only two games only 23 seconds after Olivier gave the Jackets the lead

Taking a page out of Karlsson’s book, he went to the net, got his stick down and established position.

After Sherwood drew a penalty, he continued to battle for the puck, passing it to Joshua, who drove the net as if he was going to shoot himself and made a pass for Räty to collect his fifth goal.

6-6 with under three minutes to go.

Lankinen made sure to keep it that way with a five-alarm save to keep it 6-6.

The Quinn Hughes Effect

Scientists continue to be baffled by the gravitational pull that Quinn Hughes seems to have on players larger than him.

This will be included in the paper I am writing for the Journal of Hockey Sciences. The broadcast pointed this out. Watch how three defenders all end up circling Hughes on the top right of the shot.

Quinn seems entirely unphased by the pressure. A quick Garland-inspired spin, and he still manages to play the puck deep to the forechecker.

This is why the numbers are so staggering for the Canucks with him on the ice compared to his numbers when he’s off the ice.

In overtime, Hughes had another brilliant play that makes you wonder, “do the Canucks need three skaters or should they have three goalies and Hughes?”

Hughes pokes the puck off a Blue Jackets stick. It landed right on another Jackets stick, he pokes it off theirs as well, and then turns on the burners and beat the third skater in a race to the net and givcs the Canucks their first great chance of OT.

Another 3-Point Game

The Canucks had the ice tilted in overtime. It seemed to be all Canucks all the time. Not only did Quinn go end-to-end, but DeBrusk had a chance to win the game, thanks to a well-placed pick from Hronek.

Hronek made some space for Boeser to move in on the left wall, and Debrusk found some space and tried to beat Elvis on the backhand.

Kiefer Sherwood got some icetime in OT where he was causing problems for the Jackets.

I honestly think this was an accident. Their skates clipped as Sherwood was looking up ice, and Merzlikins was outside the crease. Merzlikins laid there like he was dying for a few minutes, which only allowed Quinn Hughes to recharge his super attacks.

Sherwood also nearly put the game away at 1:10 with a shot that almost squeaked in the five-hole.

Again, this time it was Hughes, but the sneaky little pick allowed Sherwood a lot of daylight on the right side to try and wait out Merzlikins.

The game would wind up in the shootout. First up, Port Moody’s own Kent Johnson.

That’s Tri-Cities hockey, baby!

Canucks offered up DeBrusk.

Five-hole bid, no dice.

Adam Fantilli, you’re up.

Snubbed.

What’s that I hear? That’s a 2005 Corolla!

Marchenko, with the game on his stick!

And it all comes down to Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who had the game-winning shootout goal on Monday against the New Jersey Devils.

Keep it in your pants there, Merzlikins; you had a 0.837 save percentage. This wasn’t exactly a lights-out performance from either goalie.

Fin

It wasn’t the outcome Canucks fans had hoped for. According to MoneyPuck, the Canucks end the night with a 17% chance at the playoffs.

Next up, the Winnipeg Jets at 12pm on Sunday.

I think i need a chaos giraffe tattoo

— Rude_Canuck (@bellabella.bsky.social) 2025-03-29T00:34:49.412Z

Me too, Bella, me too.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/stanch...ncouver-canucks-so-loss-columbus-blue-jackets

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Canucks’ fight for the last wild card spot is a strong argument against an NHL play-in tournament

The Vancouver Canucks haven’t had regular season games matter quite like this in a good, long while.

For a few years running, the Canucks were often so far out of the playoff picture that all the ‘stretch run’ really represented to them was a chance to lower their draft lottery odds. Then, last year in 2023/24, as the team made a triumphant upswing, they were essentially locked into a playoff position from the first month of the season onward, which meant the tail-end of the regular season was just about jockeying for seeding.

Not so in 2024/25, however. Here we are, down to the final nine games of the season, and the Canucks are in the midst of a dramatic battle for the last wild card spot in the West. That has meant that every single game, and every single point, has really mattered for a couple weeks running now, and will continue to matter right down to the wire.

All of which dovetails nicely into a discussion that has been ongoing in league circles of late, and that’s a discussion about changes to the playoff format.

Specifically, the notion of introducing a ‘play-in’ tournament at the end of the regular season, in which a small handful of teams directly compete for the final one or two spots in the actual playoffs.

There are several reasons why this topic has come up, not the least of which is the fact that the NBA now includes a play-in tournament on their yearly schedule. The “2025 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament” gets going on April 15, and features the teams seeded 7th-10th in each of the NBA’s two conferences competing for the seventh and eighth seed in each conference.

The NBA Play-Ins have proven popular, and that’s saying something for a sport whose popularity already heavily outpaces that of the NHL.

But there are also some hockey-specific reasons why some are thinking about play-ins. Tournaments, in general, are hot right now on the heels of the wildly successful 4 Nations Face-Off.

There is also the recent memory of the play-in format that was necessitated by the pandemic-truncated circumstances of the 2019/20 season. For those who don’t recall, the Canucks won their best-of-five play-in series with the Minnesota Wild that year, which led them into an actual first round victory against the St. Louis Blues before bowing out to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Whatever one thought of the format itself, most have fond memories of the extended postseason drama from within ‘the bubble.’

And then there’s the argument of the size of the league. The NHL already has 32 teams, which is two more than the NBA’s 30. As it stands now, a full half of the league – 16 teams – do not get to experience any postseason action in any given season. That’s a lot of teams, and it may be getting worse, because all indications are that the NHL is not done expanding quite yet. A recent report suggested that the NHL’s ideal future size is 36 teams. With no play-in series, that would mean 20 teams having their years conclude suddenly with the end of the regular season.

All of which has led to lots of chatter about the introduction of a play-in series.

Now, for those who are diametrically opposed to the idea, we have good news. Your opinion is in line with that of Commissioner Gary Bettman. Speaking after the recent GM meetings, Bettman told reporters that he was strongly against the concept, saying “I’m pretty dug in on this, I like exactly what we have and if you look at the races that we’re having for the regular season, playoffs have started already. We’re in our play-in tournament.”

The bad news, however, is that the idea has already progressed enough to the point that Bettman felt the need to make a public denial. That suggests it’s something he’s already hearing suggested fairly frequently in his circles.

But, as much as we hate to agree with the most-booed man in professional sports, Bettman is absolutely correct on this one, and the Vancouver Canucks’ current circumstances are the proof in the pudding.

Right now, the Canucks are in a three-horse race for the final wild card spot in the West, trailing the Blues by four points (with a game in hand) and two points ahead of the Calgary Flames (who have two games in hand.) Should the Minnesota Wild continue to struggle, it could very well become a four-horse race – and no matter what, there will still only be two spots available at the end of the day.

These circumstances are what has led to each and every Canucks game being fraught with tension and drama for these past couple of weeks. Heck, when was the last time you remember being excited about a matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets in late March? And yet, that’s what we got this week, and what a matchup it was!

Introduce a play-in tournament, and all that drama disappears. If we were to borrow the NBA’s format, then all four of the Wild, Blues, Canucks, and Flames would already essentially be locked in to place for the year-end play-in tournament, and would just be jockeying for seeding within that tournament right now. The pressure of outright missing the playoffs would be absent. The value of those proverbial ‘four-point’ games would be drastically lessened.

And for what?

All a play-in tournament would do would be to replace several weeks of tension-filled regular season jockeying with a small handful of games that ultimately serve the same purpose. That doesn’t sound like a ‘less is more’ situation, it sounds like a ‘less is less.’

It would also do a great disservice to the regular season itself. With 82 games each year, it’s already hard to feel like every single one of them matters. And yet, when the circumstances land just right, as they have for the Canucks this season, we quickly learn that every regular season game does, in fact, matter. And that’s the way it should be.

Imagine the difference in feeling if all these little wins and losses actually didn’t amount to much difference. If the Canucks blowing a 3-0 lead against Columbus really didn’t matter for much other than changing the seeding in a play-in tournament. Would that really feel right?

The 2024/25 Canucks might, in fact, be the best argument against a play-in tournament we’ve seen in a while, and we can state the reason in pretty blunt terms: if the Canucks don’t earn a playoff spot the old-fashioned way this year, the reason will be because they don’t deserve one. The late-season push is what it is, but it’s only been made necessary because of the Canucks underperforming at other times of the year.

The Canucks are suffering the consequences of a poor overall regular season, and their only current way of salvaging it is through a dramatic run to end that same regular season. Which is the way it should be.

To have the regular season become less consequential should not be the goal. The regular season is as consequential for the Canucks right now as it has ever been, and the entertainment-based results speak for themselves.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...trong-argument-against-nhl-play-in-tournament

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks prospect Tom Willander’s BU Terriers secure Frozen Four berth with overtime thriller

Vancouver Canucks fans eagerly awaiting the arrival of prospect Tom Willander will need to exercise a bit more patience, as he now has other commitments to attend to.

The Boston University Terriers have punched their ticket to the NCAA Frozen Four for the 25th time in program history after a hard-fought 3-2 overtime victory over Cornell in the Toledo Regional finals.

For our 25th trip to the Frozen Four, we proudly present MEET US IN ST. LOUIS#ProudToBU pic.twitter.com/bn5LY6FXeI

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) March 29, 2025

The tightly contested match saw BU fend off an upset bid from the fourth-seeded Cornell, which had already stunned top-seeded Michigan State in the opening round.

After two periods, the teams were knotted at one goal each, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

In the third, Washington Capitals prospect Cole Hutson went to work, roofing a shot from a near-impossible angle to give the Terriers their first lead of the game.

GOTTA GET COLE HUTSON BACK ON SPORTSCENTER AFTER THIS BEAUTY!

ESPNU #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/MRCuqJbMI4

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) March 29, 2025

However, Cornell responded with just over five minutes remaining, leveling the score at 2-2 and pushing the game into overtime.

The extra frame didn’t last long.

At 6:25, Quinn Hutson unleashed a 50-foot shot from the point that threaded its way through traffic and across the goal line, officially sending the Terriers to St. Louis.

THE GOAL THAT GOT US BACK TO THE FROZEN FOURpic.twitter.com/CHuWNTPj55

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) March 29, 2025

Boston now awaits the outcome of Sunday’s matchup between UConn and Penn State. The winner will face BU in the Frozen Four semifinals on April 10th.

The National Championship game is set for April 12th.

For Canucks fans, the victory not only begs whether he will sign his official Entry-Level deal, but if he will have time to join Vancouver at all this season. Vancouver’s regular season concludes on April 16th, just days after the NCAA Championship game.

Even if BU falls in the semifinals, the timeline leaves little room for Willander to join the Canucks for the tail end of their campaign. However, with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks in a strong playoff position, an alternative path to begin his professional career in the minors remains a very strong possibility.

For now, Canucks faithful can take pride in their prospect’s success while anticipating his eventual arrival—whenever that may be.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...rs-secure-frozen-four-berth-overtime-thriller

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Instant Reaction: Canucks drop low-event matinee match vs. Jets

Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at CanucksArmy where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Vancouver Canucks game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

Twice in three games I’m on Vancouver Canucks game coverage? Quads is really trying to help me improve my 1-9 record on these types of articles. Let’s see how this one goes.

This game started with the Winnipeg Jets sustaining some early pressure. The first chance for the Canucks came after Jonathan Lekkerimäki forced a turnover on the forecheck. He found the puck and centred it to Linus Karlsson for a chance in front of the net.

However, that was short-lived, as heading back the other way, Aatu Räty took a slashing penalty to send the Winnipeg Jets to the power play. Then, Teddy Blueger took a high-sticking penalty to give the Jets a two-man advantage. And despite a Räty bad turnover after he came out of the penalty box, the Canucks managed to come out unscathed. Which, was pretty impressive to kill off a 5-on-3, considering the Jets have the best home-ice power play in the entire NHL.

It was a relatively uneventful first period until Pius Suter beat Connor Hellebuyck but couldn’t beat the crossbar:

Pius Suter rings a shot off the cross bar.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks pic.twitter.com/oOVb4HrPcf

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 30, 2025

Coming off his second consecutive three-point game, Kiefer Sherwood kept up his impressive play, as he made a great play to cut to the middle and drew a high-sticking penalty. The Canucks wouldn’t capitalize on their opportunity.

But the Jets left Pius Suter all alone. And with how hot he is lately, that was a mistake. And Suter made them pay:

CANUCKS GOAL

Pius Suter is on fire! That's his 22nd goal of the season! He puts Vancouver up 1-0

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks pic.twitter.com/dEzt90tm4h

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 30, 2025

It was a great play from Tyler Myers to thread a pass through two Jets players to find Suter streaming to the net uncontested. However, the Jets would challenge the play for offside, and of course, it took what felt like 45 minutes to get the call right.

The Canucks think they open the scoring. But the play is under review for an offside.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks pic.twitter.com/mcTjHzNTRh

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 30, 2025

The Canucks got the call they were hoping for, as the goal stood and were rewarded with a power play after the unsuccessful challenge.

1-0 Canucks.

But as is Canucks hockey nowadays, it was a relatively low event first period. There weren’t too many threatening scoring chances, and Vancouver was outshot 9-6.

The Canucks would start the second period on the power play. They wouldn’t convert, but the Canucks managed to start strong and generated some threatening scoring chances.

But the best chance came off the stick of the Jets captain, Adam Lowry:

Thatcher Demko does a nice job tracking the puck. He makes a great save off this point blank chance by Adam Lowry.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks pic.twitter.com/iIuNypMIWJ

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 30, 2025

Thatcher Demko has been so good since returning from injury. And that didn’t slow down in this game, especially with this save. It was a battle between the top two in the Vezina Trophy race last season. And Demko was winning that battle, until Kyle Connor had something to say about it:

Kyle Connor ties the game.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks pic.twitter.com/cdKm4ABFzy

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 30, 2025

I don’t know what the Canucks even did to Connor, but he loves scoring against them.

He just waltzes right into the zone and takes a wrist shot on net from distance with two Canucks defending him and goes five-hole on Demko.

Now, that’s probably a shot that Demko wants back. To get beaten five-hole like that from distance and comparing them to some of the saves he’s already made in this game can’t be something he’s happy about.

1-1 tie.

There really wasn’t much to talk about in this game. The shots were decent for a Canucks game, but there really wasn’t a lot of threatening scoring chances. Like, there was ONE high-danger scoring chance for either team in the second period.

Hopefully we got something more entertaining in the third?

Nope. No fun at all for the first five minutes.

But that would change once the Jets generated some offensive pressure and took the lead:

Mason Appleton puts the Jets up 2-1.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks pic.twitter.com/Nok3cDqMVC

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 30, 2025

Future Canuck, Nikolaj Ehlers, grabbed the puck behind the net and took a spinning shot toward the net. But what do they say? Send the puck on net, and good things happen.

The puck goes off a skate, and Mason Appleton is able to bury the puck, crashing into Demko.

Unfortunate play here from Quinn Hughes. He’s unable to box Appleton out, who gave leverage to find himself in the perfect position to find the back of the net.

2-1 Jets.

The Canucks would take another penalty, but they managed to stop the red-hot Jets power play.

Shortly after the kill, Teddy Blueger had the Canucks’ best chance of the period:

Teddy Blueger is stopped by Connor Hellebuyck. That's his best save of the afternoon.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks pic.twitter.com/SU2tgPhe72

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 30, 2025

Marcus Pettersson makes a great pass up to Blueger, who has all the room in the world to try and pick his spot. Unfortunately, he’s against the runaway Vezina Trophy winner, who comes up clutch to make the save one-on-one.

That Jets built energy on that save, as they grabbed the insurance marker off the stick of Cole Perfetti:

3-1 Jets.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks pic.twitter.com/hcdmw0PJ0Q

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 30, 2025

I have to say. What a move from Perfetti. He goes between the legs of Derek Forbort and makes no mistake in beating Demko.

3-1 Jets.

This was certainly the dagger for the Canucks. Rick Tocchet would pull the goalie with 4:40 left in the third period. They were able to generate scoring chances with the extra skater but got a little too excited as they had seven skaters on the ice and took too many penalty with 1:20 left in the game.

And that’s a wrap.

Takeaways​

– I just really like the Joshua-Räty-Sherwood line, even though they didn’t get on the scoreboard tonight. At least early on, they seemed to be generating a lot of offensive zone time. Plus, having two of the hardest-hitting forwards, not only on the team but in the entire NHL, has to be threatening for any opposing team. Tocchet might have found something here.

– I continue to be surprisingly impressed with Linus Karlsson’s game. He doesn’t do anything flashy, but he seems to be fitting in at the NHL level. It wasn’t an outstanding performance by any means, but he’s trusted enough on the team’s second power play unit, where he scored last game and nearly did this game after a spinning shot off the feed from Kiefer Sherwood.

– Despite the losing effort, Thatcher Demko played well. He made a lot of big saves and just continues to play well. Jeff Paterson made a great point after last game, where he likely should have gotten the start against the Columbus Blue Jackets

– Quinn Hughes didn’t really take over this game as he normally does. That’s now three games where he hasn’t been the vintage Quinn Hughes we’re used to seeing. Obviously, I’m being a little over-critical, considering how well he’s played this season and literally carried the team to so many victories. But he may be playing through something. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Canucks shut him down later in the season if they’re out of the playoff race.

We wouldn’t say the Canucks are now out of the playoff race, but every point matters at this point. It’s a tough task to try and beat the league-leading Jets, but they’re still six points behind the St. Louis Blues with just one game in hand. It won’t be easy, but the Canucks need to get something going on their three game homestand against the Seattle Kraken, Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/instan...ks-drop-low-event-matinee-match-winnipeg-jets

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Stanchies: Jets take a chunk out of Canucks’ already slim playoff hopes

Some things can change a lot in a year.

This day, last year, the #Canucks clinched a playoff spot.

— J. Jimmy Jameson (@Haida_James) March 30, 2025

But at the same time, we had to know it would end this way.

If you’d told me in October the Canucks were going to lose to the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 in a pivotal late March game, I wouldn’t have been that surprised. Canada Life Centre has been a house of horrors for the Canucks since Jets 2.0 arrived, posting their lowest winning percentage of any current NHL arena. And that includes Utah’s Delta Center, where the Canucks haven’t won yet.

But if you’d told me a Cole Perfetti dangle around Derek Forbort was going to all but ice the Canucks’ playoff dreams, one year after being crowned the Pacific Division champions, that would’ve been a big shock.

The journey here certainly was too. It started on opening night, when the Canucks blew a 4-1 lead against the Flames and lost in overtime. From that moment on, the snowball has been rolling down the hill. With today’s loss to the Jets, all the Canucks can hear are the sounds of an avalanche starting above their cabin.

It was always going to take every ounce of power for the Canucks to get past the league leading Jets. The roster is stacked with homegrown talent, a defensive core that seemingly never runs out of skill, and Connor Hellebuyck needs no introduction.

Doing it without Elias Pettersson and Nils Höglander was never going to be easy either. And for 35 minutes, they were able to hang with the Jets. But the runway eventually came, and the plane left them stranded on the tarmac.

Best ‘Maybe today will be different!’

Alright, so reffing will be an issue this game #canucks

— Kessy (@salishcanuck) March 30, 2025

“great penalty killing from the canucks” imagine that

— jas (@swedehandshoggy) March 30, 2025

This game started with the usual ‘refs handing the Canucks a challenge immediately’ by throwing Aatu Räty in the box for interference and Teddy Blueger in for high sticking Mark Scheifele – despite Scheifele’s interference causing it in the first place.

And to the Canucks credit, the penalty kill came to play against the league’s number one power play. They got in passing lanes, didn’t overcommit to pushing shooters away from the net, and the shots that did get through Demko got in front of.

It seemed to bode well for the Canucks that their PK unit killed off a 5-on-3 at the most crucial point of their season. And in a way it did: the Jets ended up going 0 for 4 on the man advantage in this game.

Best Sneak Preview

Suter missed by .02 mm #Canucks

— MDWhite (@White3D64197) March 30, 2025

Pius Suter’s confidence of late has been on another planet compared to his teammates. The absence of Pettersson down the middle has certainly been felt, but thrust into the spotlight of carrying the top line, Suter has absolutely taken the ball and ran with it.

Here, he called his own number after a cross-ice pass from Hronek and beat Hellebuyck cleanly over the shoulder like a veteran 50-goal man, but the crossbar got in the way.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say we’re going to see him again very soon.

Best is that good?

#Canucks pic.twitter.com/kCwh0WGvfP

— tiana (@nuckaround) March 30, 2025

Best Pew Pew

SUTER IS MY SHOOTER AND NUMBER ONE LOVE #CANUCKS

— 44 (@canuckinsanity) March 30, 2025

What a pass by Myers #canucks

— ANDY (@DjAnganu) March 30, 2025

Of course Pius Suter came back. But this goal starts with a heads up play by Tyler Myers.

With a minute to go and the Jets on an ill-timed line change, the Chaos Giraffe draws a pair of Jets to him at the blue line while Suter streaks through the now-open middle lane. Myers feathers the pass through, and Suter goes top shelf over Hellebuyck with the surehandedness of an Ovechkin or Draisaitl for his 22nd goal of the season.

But first, controversy! Before the Canucks could take a 1-0 lead into the locker room, the Jets challenged that Suter entered the zone offside before Myers did with the puck. And I’m not gonna lie to you, I thought this one was coming back.

But the Jets coaching staff forgot to account for the sheer good luck the Canucks have had with coach’s reviews against them this season, and the goal stood.

NHL teams are now 1-7 this season when they challenge a goal in a game against the #Canucks. Only successful overturn was October 28 when Carolina won a offside challenge.

— Adam Kierszenblat (@Adamkblat) March 30, 2025

Best history lesson

Speaking of the Jets’ staff, that man leading the charge for Winnipeg’s best ever season might look familiar to you. That’s Scott Arniel, former bench boss for the Canucks’ old farm team, the Manitoba Moose, in the pre-Jets days.

Arniel coached the Moose from 2006 to 2010, a period highlighted by earning the AHL’s best regular season record en route to the Calder Cup Final in 2009. Among the future Canucks on that magical team were Cory Schneider, Cody Hodgson, Michael Grabner and the legendary Mario Bliznak.

If you didn’t think I’d find an excuse to show off Mario Bliznak’s lone NHL goal, you don’t know me very well.

Tanner Glass showing why he became Alain Vigneault’s favourite fourth liner by following up his own rebound, and the former Vancouver Giant getting inside position to bat the puck past Pascal Leclaire.

When Vigneault packed his bags for New York City, he took Glass with him and Arniel, who served as an assistant coach on Vigneault’s Rangers.

Best ‘Shap

pic.twitter.com/CEXjYev8lx

— SoapVox (@soapvox) March 30, 2025

This was a game defined by the goalies, Thatcher Demko was dialed in for the vast majority of this game. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: this game would’ve been over a lot sooner without him.

His best save of the game was this one on the doorstep off Adam Lowry, set up by Josh Morrissey who skated the perimeter in a way we’re only used to seeing in Vancouver from Quinn Hughes.

As Hughes goes to check Morrissey, Lowry is able to sneak to the far side without Fil Hronek noticing, but Demko keeps an eye on him and shut the door off the quick cross ice pass.

Best Milan Hejduk impression

Sigh#Canucks

— Marianne || hockey era (@mari_mawi1) March 30, 2025

man demko had a great save earlier but was absolutely fooled here

— jas (@swedehandshoggy) March 30, 2025

Eventually the dam started to burst, and of course it was Kyle Connor to get the Jets going again.

Connor became a dad for the first time last week, and with it came with the added boost of dad strength. That’s arguably the only explanation for how he was able to blow the puck underneath Demko’s pads from distance.

The added screen by Derek Forbort didn’t help, but it’s fair to assume it’s still a goal Demko wanted back.

Best Conspiracy

Garland not drawing a penalty during that sequence is a crime.

— Sapsterr (@Sapsterr_) March 30, 2025

These refs man smh

— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) March 30, 2025

A disclaimer: I don’t think Angel Reese was watching the Canucks game. But she might’ve been, so welcome to the Stanchies, Angel!

The Jets were running picks and hooks all day that weren’t called, but these ones on Garland were particularly egregious. The Iafallo high-stick and the Scheifele trip on Garland that were both missed were just the icing on top of a tougher day at the office for Corolla.

Best Kirk McLean impression

The old standup reactionary kick save by Thatcher Demko. #Canucks

— Grady Sas (@GradySas) March 30, 2025

Thatcher Demko doesn’t need the Skate jersey or the classic black McLean pads to do something reminiscent of him. This kick save came right out of an old Sports Page highlight reel narrated by Don Taylor.

A wonky-looking save to see in the hybrid era, but as a goalie aficionado I can never get enough throwback saves. It also tells you Demko seems to be in a way better place health-wise.

Best Apple

puck had been on #Canucks doorstep entire period. Felt inevitable. Can only give Jets so many chances

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) March 30, 2025

I tried to tell y'all about Mason Appleton.

— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) March 30, 2025

The first thing I thought about when Mason Appleton outmuscled Hughes for this rebound goal was the incoming Drancer victory lap. I lived through that Seattle expansion draft content.

The second thing was just how clinical the Jets’ attack is compared to the Canucks. Pending UFA (and future Canuck) Nikolaj Ehlers whips the puck at the net at the perfect time for Lowry and Appleton to press and crash the net. Lowry gets the first crack at it that Demko stops, but Appleton is right on the doorstep to whack the second chance in.

Best Hard Truth

The minutes and injuries have taken a toll on Hughes, doesn't look himself

— Satiar Shah (@SatiarShah) March 30, 2025

Contrary to the “Drew O’Connor merchant” claims by some random Avalanche fan, Quinn Hughes is always taking the hardest minutes and the longest shifts. And even a superhero gets tired of stopping speeding trains.

Playing on fumes, the cracks are starting to show in Hughes’ ability to hang onto the puck or create something spectacular, and that’s not shade at him. He’s done plenty for this team already. But as he goes, the Canucks are obviously going to go with him.

Best we’ll always have 2024

That, ladies and gentlemen is the sun setting on this season #Canucks

— Connor (paid my dues) (@cknnr17) March 30, 2025

That's that. Game and season done. #Canucks

— Josh (@spursymac) March 30, 2025

The Canucks were throwing every last bit of energy they had left to give after the Appleton goal. They killed off a Kiefer Sherwood high-sticking call and started to gain momentum towards a tying goal, including a grade-A Teddy Blueger chance that Hellebuyck got his big pads in front of.

Then the bubble burst in the loudest way possible.

This goal, unfortunately, is absolutely gorgeous. Perfetti sends a puck-watching Forbort into another solar system by putting the puck between his legs and cutting to the inside, managing to roof it over Demko’s blocker side as he falls.

As he slid across the ice to the cheers of the Canada Life Centre crowd, the hopes of Canucks fans and the bench went sliding with him.

Best Eulogizing

#Canucks look like they have run out of gas. Understandable when you need to play every game on a six-game road trip like its Game 7. Getting center Elias Pettersson back into the lineup is going to be a huge boost for this team.

— Adam Kierszenblat (@Adamkblat) March 30, 2025

Can’t question the effort level of this depleted Canucks roster down the stretch. Gave it a good effort but it’s draft lottery simulation time my friends.

— Wyatt Arndt (@TheStanchion) March 30, 2025

For the sake of science, I did run the Tankathon simulator 10 times after this game.

The Canucks, sitting at 15th overall, didn’t budge from that spot once.

Best Poetry

On a Sunday afternoon in Winnipeg. pic.twitter.com/VbErba25d4

— Jay (@JHammer_87) March 30, 2025

not with a bang but with a bench minor

— g (@wholegrainne) March 30, 2025

With their season on the line, Rick Tocchet pulled the goalie with over four minutes to go. Then with just over a minute to go, his team somehow managed to take a too many men penalty.

Demko skated towards the Canucks bench, expecting another empty net. But Tocchet wasn’t looking, effectively waving the white flag on the game and the playoff dream.

This all sucked. Is there anything fun to end on?

Best Hockey Town

as we await PWHL expansion news I’m hearing that similar to other reports that both teams will be out west. with Vancouver possibly being the Canadian team.

unsure when the league plans to announce the news, but I don’t think we will have to wait much longer for it.

— alyssa (@alyssalerae) March 30, 2025

Here we go.

Vancouver potentially getting a PWHL expansion team should come as no surprise. If you’re reading these Stanchies, on a day where the Canucks likely saw their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs get lost in the mail, you’re part of the reason why. Vancouver fans’ passion for the game knows no bounds, and it showed when the city sold out Rogers Arena for the PWHL Takeover Tour, drawing a larger crowd than any Canucks game this year.

And it wasn’t just fans going for the novelty of a pro women’s game. It was true hockey fans, starved for a good game and good teams to get excited about.

Seeing the magic of the 2024 season turn into a blip on the radar stings a lot. This fanbase suffered through a lot of bad seasons to end up having their hopes raised and dreams dashed just a calendar year later. Fans in this market deserve to see quality teams playing meaningful hockey all the way through the spring and beyond more than just once in a blue moon.

This year has been a setback, but those days of perennial playoff runs shouldn’t be far away. And with two pro teams in town, that’s just double the chance of seeing a parade down Robson Street some day.

I can’t wait to see the floats.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/stanch...-vancouver-canucks-already-slim-playoff-hopes

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Paterson’s Point: Overplaying Quinn Hughes isn’t a strategy for Canucks – now or moving forward

Newsflash: Playing Quinn Hughes nearly 30 minutes a night isn’t working. And as the Vancouver Canucks lurch to the finish line of this highly disappointing 2024-25 National Hockey League season, it’s time for the hockey club to abandon this misguided notion that playing the wheels off its captain is in his best interest – or that of the organization.

Hughes gives the Canucks everything he’s got. And he remains their best chance to drive offence and win hockey games almost every night out. But he’s also human. And between the injuries that have kept him out of 14 games since Christmas – and also prevented him from representing his country in the 4 Nations Face-Off – it became apparent on this six-game road trip that Hughes, alone, can’t get the Canucks where they need to go.

The last three games of the trip – against the New York Islanders and in Columbus and Winnipeg – may have been the three most ordinary games in an extraordinary season for the reigning Norris Trophy winner. He has set the bar so high in this market that it’s readily apparent when he’s not at the apex of his powers.

It was obvious to anyone who watched those games that he is simply running on fumes. And to what end? Hughes led the Canucks in ice time on the road trip averaging 28:19 over the six games. Included in that stretch was a career-high 31:38 in New Jersey last Monday and a 30:38 night in St. Louis to start the trip.

Prior to the 4 Nations break, Hughes averaged 25:18 of ice per night. In 13 games since then, he’s been asked to play 26:32 each night – and four of those 13 games are among the 15 highest individual ice times in a league of more than 700 skaters.

Hughes has looked exhausted lately, and that surely has played into a power play that managed to score in just one of the six games on the trip at a point in the season and in tight games almost every night out where every goal matters. On Sunday against the Jets, the Canucks went 0 for 3 with the man-advantage and had a chance to extend their lead to 2-0 early in the second period or regain the lead at 2-1 later in that middle frame. Instead, the power play fizzled as it did for most of the road trip.

Again, this isn’t any kind of knock on Quinn Hughes, who’s doing what he can to drive this team forward. But it is an indictment on his usage and an assertion that despite his greatness, he has reached his limits under trying circumstances.

The biggest issue through all of this is that the Canucks have overhauled their blueline in season. They got Filip Hronek back from a six-week injury in mid-January and added Marcus Pettersson a few weeks later. They also propped up the defensive group with promising rookies Elias Pettersson and Victor Mancini. There is no question now that the group of defenders the Canucks are running with now is night and day better than the skaters they iced in October. Earlier in the season, it was understandable that much was asked of Hughes. But with a healthy Hronek and adding Pettersson from Pittsburgh, the Canucks bolstered the top of their defence corps – and somehow Hughes’ workload has increased.

Aside from Noah Juulsen, the Canucks defence is completely healthy and has been for weeks now. And these are the pieces this team will move forward with. So, even with insulation for Hughes, the team has chosen to run him out there for half the game almost every night for the past few weeks.

Since February 22nd, the Canucks have been outscored 21-14 at even-strength with Hughes on the ice and 14-10 at 5-on-5. Those aren’t the types of numbers usually associated with Hughes when healthy and at the top of his game. But it looks and feels like the workload has caught up to him. And understandably so.

And now with eight games remaining and the team’s playoff hopes all but vanished, the Canucks need to ease up on their demands on Hughes. Leave him home from next week’s road trip to Dallas and Denver. Put an internal cap on his ice time, and make sure he doesn’t reach 25 minutes in another game the rest of the way. And certainly do not do what the team did in Columbus on Friday and ask Hughes to play 4:10 of 3-on-3 overtime.

Everything the Canucks do from this point forward should be done with an eye to the future. And that includes a big picture vision of how to maximize the greatness of Quinn Hughes. Asking him to play 30 minutes a night hasn’t led the Canucks to the playoffs. So, the solution seems pretty clear for all to see: build a better team around him so that he doesn’t have to play half of every game.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/paters...strategy-vancouver-canucks-now-moving-forward

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

NHL Notebook: NHL, Rogers agree on 12-year $7.7 billion USD Canadian TV deal

Welcome back to NHL Notebook — the series here at CanucksArmy where we deliver you news and notes from around the National Hockey League — oftentimes through a Vancouver Canucks-tinted lens!

The National Hockey League and Rogers Communications announced that they’ve agreed to a 12-year, $7.7 billion USD ($11 billion CAD) TV deal, according to Scott Soshnick of sportico.com.

The current deal between both parties was also a 12-year contract, signed back in 2013. With the new deal to expire at the end of next season, the new deal will kick off for the 2026-2027 season. That deal was worth $5.2 billion CAD – the new price tag over double what was signed just 12 years ago. According to Sportico, the league’s media and executive committees have recommended that owners approve the deal in the upcoming vote. Should that deal be agreed to, the announcement from the league and Rogers Communications could come as early as this week.

Rogers has circled in as the main leader for a lot of Canadian sports. The company owns the Toronto Blue Jays, the Rogers Centre (the Blue Jays’ arena), and 37.5% of MLSE (Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment), which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Toronto Football Club.

The NHL is currently riding out its seven-year deal with ESPN and Turner (TNT) in the USA and reportedly pays them $600 million per season.

If the deal is signed off by the owners, Vancouver Canucks fans can look forward to hearing the voices of John Shorthouse, Ray Ferraro and Dave Tomlinson as Sportsnet would retain the rights to Canucks games.

There have been streaming sites that are starting to poke their head into the sports world.

Amazon Prime signed a two-year deal with the NHL, debuting their Monday Night Hockey on Prime this season. Netflix dipped into the NFL, where it signed a three-year contract to stream Christmas Day games, which debuted in 2024.

While streaming platforms are working their way into the sports world, Canadian hockey will continue to be streamed with Rogers on Sportsnet until at least 2038-2039 if the deal is agreed upon by the owners.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-notebook-nhl-rogers-agree-12-year-7-7-billion-usd-canadian-tv-deal

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

‘Odds are likely stacked against’ Filip Chytil returning for the Canucks this season

The bad news continues for the Vancouver Canucks on the injury front as they fight for the final Wild Card spot in the West.

Speaking to media today, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said Filip Chytil has “good days and bad days” in his recovery from a concussion, and is considered unlikely to return to Vancouver’s lineup this season.

Tocchet said that Chytil’s has had “good days and bad days” with his concussion. He said the odds are likely stacked against him returning to the #Canucks lineup this season

— Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) April 1, 2025

“Good days and bad days, he’s had,” said Tocchet. “You go and skate, felt good, the next day, not as good. So, you know, to be honest with you guys, does he play this year? Maybe the odds are against it. Plus, you don’t want to put a guy in that type of position. But when a guy has good days and bad days, obviously you’re not going to play the guy.”

The 25-year-old Czech skater hasn’t played since March 15th, when he exited late during the third period of a 6-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks after taking a bad hit from ex-Canuck Jason Dickinson. After the hit, he was very slow to get up and went straight to the locker room. He was then placed under concussion protocol and has been out since.

Former Canuck Jason Dickinson with a blindside hit from behind on Filip Chytil.

Chytil immediately went to the locker room.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Canucks pic.twitter.com/g54DQArmyc

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 16, 2025

Given his history of head trauma, the Canucks are being extra cautious with this still relatively young player. Chytil previously missed the majority of the 2023-24 season with the New York Rangers due to a concussion. When asked if the team has concerns about his career moving forward, Tocchet said they’re just trying to stay positive and focus on the present.

“I don’t know, because I talked to him today and he said it was different than his last concussion,” said the Canucks coach. “The bad days aren’t as bad, so that’s a positive. So I think we’ve got to take the positive approach. Plus he’s got four or five months to rebuild himself, or who knows? You know what I mean? You just gotta take it day-by-day with this guy right now.”

Chytil was acquired by the Canucks in late January as part of the blockbuster JT Miller trade with the Rangers. He played 15 games with the Canucks, registering two goals and six points, before being sidelined. While the news of his unlikely return will come as a disappointment to Canucks fans, his health takes priority above all, and that’s the approach Vancouver’s medical staff is sticking to.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/odds-l...lip-chytil-returning-vancouver-canucks-season

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Tocchet says Pettersson ‘day-to-day’, Höglander ‘biting at the bit to play’

After returning home from their six-game road trip, Vancouver Canucks head coach met with the media after Tuesday’s practice and gave an update on the health status of Elias Pettersson and Nils Höglander:

“Upper body. I think it was in the corner on a battle, something like that. He skated, I think once or twice, didn’t skate that hard. [He had a] little bit of discomfort.”

Tocchet was then asked if he expects Pettersson to play soon:

“Yeah, I think I always expect that. But like I said, it’s day-to-day. When a guy’s day-to-day, you expect him to play. But I don’t know [with] the discomfort level where it’s going to go.”

The Canucks coach was unsure and shared that it was tough to predict whether if tomorrow was a playoff game, if Pettersson could suit up.

Tocchet with an update on Höglander:

“Hogy, this guy’s biting at the [bit]. This guy wants to play so bad. He’s got a red jersey, which is a good thing, but he’s obviously no contact. Is he close? He’s closer, I guess, than the other guys. But, you know, this guy wants to play so bad, so we got to be careful with that.”

Both players sustained injuries in a Saturday matinee game against the New York Rangers, the first game between former teammates JT Miller and Carson Soucy.

Pettersson left the bench halfway through the second period. He would return for a couple of shifts but did not return for the third period.

Höglander came as a bit more of a shock as there were no signs of an injury, but he would also not rejoin his teammates for the third period.

The two-Swedes would be sent home for the final five games of the road trip, where the Canucks went 2-1-1 without them.

This was unfortunate timing for both players, as they were two of the three hottest forwards on the roster. Pettersson was riding a six-game point streak with three goals and six assists for nine points in those games. Playing on Pettersson’s wing for those games, Höglander had one goal and five assists during his five-game point streak.

The Canucks have eight games remaining on the schedule before the conclusion of the regular season. Vancouver currently sits six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Wild Card spot. It will be a big boost for the team if they are able to get one or both of the forwards back as they try to claw their way back into playoff contention.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/tocchet-says-pettersson-day-day-hoglander-biting-bit-play

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Which Canucks have the most to prove over the team’s final 8 games?: Canucks Conversation

Which Canucks Have the Most to Prove Over the Team’s Final 8 Games?​

On today’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal discussed which Vancouver Canucks players have the most at stake as the regular season winds down with the team nearly out of playoff contention.

Harm pointed out that several Canucks still have a lot to play for despite likely missing playoffs, unlike some teams where veterans are locked into long-term deals and coasting to the finish line.

“There’s a surprising number of players on this team who have real stakes to play for,” Harm said. “Some teams, like the [Nashville] Predators, for example, they’ve got veterans on big-money contracts, and outside the young guys, there isn’t a whole lot to play for, and you can see they’re going through the motions.”

“For the Canucks right now, there are a lot of guys who want to finish strong. Pius Suter and Brock Boeser are playing for new contracts and they want to produce as much as possible to help their cases. We know Suter has certainly been elevating his stock — has he done enough to make the Canucks look at him as an indispensable piece, to decide this is a guy they should really pay up for on an extension?”

Harm stressed that Aatu Räty, one of the team’s top prospects acquired in the Bo Horvat trade, is entering a make-or-break period.

“This is huge for him,” Harm said. “He’s the most highly touted prospect on this team that requires waivers next season. Sure, [Jonathan] Lekkerimäki is more highly touted, but the pressure won’t be the same on him to figure it out because he’s younger and still has AHL eligibility if required. For Räty, the clock is running out.

“If you want to turn into a full-time NHL player, this is it — when you produce down the stretch, continue the momentum from his last few games, show that he can make a consistent impact and prove he’s decidedly ahead of Nils Aman on the depth chart. You want him to be a guy who contends with Teddy Blueger for a lineup spot next season, so there’s a lot for him on the line.”

Harm then highlighted Dakota Joshua as another key player to watch.

“Tocchet specifically pointed to Joshua yesterday when he was asked about what he’s looking for from guys down the stretch,” he said. “He referenced Joshua, saying he’s looked better the last few games — can he use that as a launching pad?

“We know it’s been a really difficult year for Joshua, but the Canucks are going to need him to be an effective top-nine forward the way he was last year when he could chip in with 15 goals, be heavy along the boards, and be a factor on the forecheck.”

Finally, Harm noted that Thatcher Demko’s finish to the season could impact the team’s long-term plans between the pipes.

“For him to stay healthy and finish strong, what could that mean?” Harm asked. “The Canucks are going to have to make a decision on him too. Given they already have [Kevin] Lankinen signed, do you want all that cap space committed to goaltenders next year? Demko is theoretically eligible for an extension on July 1st with one year left on his contract.”

You can watch the full segment below:

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/which-...over-teams-final-8-games-canucks-conversation

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Stanchies: Canucks season on life support in shutout loss to Kraken

The Vancouver Canucks are officially at that point in the season where you discuss their playoff chances with air quotes.

“Yes, the Canucks ‘still have a chance’ to make the post-season, this is a factually accurate statement you have just made.”

It’s essentially the way I talk about big purchases I make in my life. “Yes, I can ‘afford’ this. Yes, I very much ‘need’ this. No, I am not ‘trying to fill a void in my life with superficial purchases that do nothing but delay the eventual sadness’.”

Realistically, this season was over weeks ago. Pack it up, throw it in the dumpster, and move on with your life. But sports are a magical world in which Tobias Funke always reminds you, it might work for us. Maybe the Canucks have an 8-0 run up their sleeves that will propel them into the playoffs. Maybe the Oilers will fold their franchise after it’s discovered they’ve gone broke investing all their money in Pogs after being fooled into thinking they’re making a comeback.

Well, hopefully the 5-0 beating the Seattle Kraken delivered to the Canucks on Wednesday night cleared things up for you.

Even with a depleted roster, this loss felt especially deflating. For a team that has been skating on fumes for a while now, it just felt like everything gave out in this one. The end result was like a greatest hits of the worst of the Canucks offensive strategies, so essentially it was a Creed playlist in which all you heard was “With Arms Wide Open” cranked a little too loud, on repeat, until the end of time. You want point shots into traffic all god damn game? Don’t worry, I have all the donuts in the world for you!

Even the fallback strategy of “I wonder if Quinn Hughes can do something cool” felt unethical to watch, as at times it looked like he was exhausted trying to summon the energy to play hero ball. You almost wanted to pull Quinn Hughes out of the game, put a blanket around his shoulders, call him your little warrior, and tell him he tried his best.

Again, you can forgive the Canucks for faltering down the stretch with the injuries they’ve had, but in a game in which the faintest of playoff hopes needed a sign of life, the Canucks heartbeat flatlined. Which, if we’re being honest with each other, is probably for the best. It’s hard to imagine any scenario in which this Canucks team was going to limp into the playoffs and create much of anything out of it, so maybe the best thing is to look ahead to next season. Maybe you shut down Quinn Hughes for the season. Maybe you pile some minutes on your younger guys to see what they have in them. Maybe you finally let me live my dream and put Tyler Myers as the net front presence on the power play.

Next season is filled with endless questions, of course. But that’s a discussion for another time. Another place.

For now, all we can do is run out the clock on this season. To put an end to a journey that at times has been one of the most tedious years in team history, watching as the JT Miller and Elias Pettersson divorce proceedings overshadowed the majority of the season. A season made all the more worse by the fact that last year was so thrilling and engaging in comparison.

So let’s trudge through this game, and finish the rest of them off, because damn it, that’s just what we do around here. No matter how bad it gets, we still manage to stick around. That’s either god damn heroic, or incredibly toxic, I’m not sure which.

Whatever, crank that Creed and let’s do this.

Best well I just heard the news today

Jamie Oleksiak to the box for Holding Conor Garland

Canucks 1st Power Play#SEAKraken: 0#Canucks: 0

— Joseph (@HockeyJoseph10) April 3, 2025

The Canucks started the game off by drawing a penalty after Conor Garland does what he does best, which is piss off a big dude into taking a penalty because he’s mad he couldn’t take the puck from Corolla:

Garland blocking the shot, and the subsequent fending off of Jamie Oleksiak, further enraged the Toronto native into dragging Conor to the ice, and then accidentally on purpose falling on top of him. Jamie then grinned at the camera like a cutaway from The Office, and thus ended the last positive moment of this game from the Vancouver side of things.

The Canucks power play strategy, which eerily mirrors their 5-on-5 strategy, consisted of working the puck to the point, layering the mother effing GOTI with bodies, and praying that somehow a puck would find its way into the net. Which, for a team that has essentially attempted to score 75% of its goals in a greasy manner, they sure seem real bad at cleaning up the garbage in the crease.

The end result? The Kraken got the only major chance on the early power play when Chandler Stephenson stole a pass from Quinn Hughes, leading to a 2-on-1 that Matty Beniers heeled a shot wide:

You know how you can tell Quinn is exhausted? He’s making passes like that. Sure, he can make mistakes, but we’re seeing a volume in those mistakes that we don’t normally see from him. A combination of roster talent and ice time demands have led to Quinn Hughes looking like he’s having an existential crisis. I mean, he always looks like that, but this time, it looks slightly worse.

Fun fact: Quinn Hughes played 27:45 of hockey on this night. Something tells me it’s probably time to start winding that down as we go along here. Even if Quinn demands that ice time, even if he’s going full Captain America and demanding you let him lead the team onto the ice because he thinks the thumb snap can be reversed and somehow Nikita Zadorov, Ian Cole and JT Miller are going to step out of a portal to salvage this season, you tell him no. Feed him tranqs in his water bottle if need be. Give him the ol’ “Suns getting real low, big guy” speech. Do whatever it takes.

Best it seems my life is goin’ to change

Another PP coming up, go Canucks go #Canucks

— Don (@EDDIE_TRECE) April 3, 2025

The Canucks got the next power play as well, but the best they can offer you is a point shot into traffic:

Yes, their best chance came with the goalie pulled for the extra attacker before the penalty was even called.

Yes, Brock Boeser shooting into traffic while Pius Suter and Drew O’Connor flailed their sticks at the rebound was maybe the most dangerous chance of the first period for Vancouver.

No, I don’t know why this is our life.

Best I closed my eyes, begin to pray

Quinn Hughes has played 5 of the first 7 minutes of this game #Canucks

— Hughes is the GOAT (@Hughes4Norris) April 3, 2025

In a game that offered up very little in the way of anything resembling human enjoyment, I will say that Jani Nyman’s plan to stop a Quinn Hughes rush feels poorly thought out:

Yes, somehow Jani came to the conclusion that “if I stop moving, that will help me in stripping Quinn Hughes of the puck.”

I don’t know if it was based on T-Rex Jurassic Park logic, like he felt Quinn wouldn’t see him if he wasn’t moving, so he could jump out and go “Ah ha!” and steal the puck, but yeah, no, that didn’t work. Quinn just skated right around him and set up a Jake DeBrusk shot that, legally, I have to declare a scoring chance, even if I am heavily sighing while declaring it as such.

Best then tears of joy stream down my face

That's a poor arse call on Blueger #Canucks

— JohnnyCanuckDownUnder (@NuckDownUnder) April 3, 2025

I could show you Teddy Blueger getting an iffy penalty for slightly touching Joey Daccord’s leg, or I could show you Tyler Myers socking a few dingers:

Please note that Tyler Myers did his best to take out Seattle’s top scorer, as he properly assessed him as the biggest threat. Alas Jared is a tough son of a bitch and he played through the pain and ended the night with three assists.

Still, let it be known that the Chaos Giraffe understood the danger.

The joy of two terrible teams playing each other is that both their power plays are akin to finding a free couch on Craigslist. Sure, technically it should be a good deal, but turn on one black light and that’s when the questionable stains shorthanded rushes start happening. In this case it was Garland once again working his defensive magic, setting Drew O’Connor in the slot for what was realistically probably the highest danger chance of the game for the Canucks:

Hey, look, at least it wasn’t a point shot. Hold onto this clip. Clutch it against your chest and cherish it like you should.

Best with arms wide open under the sunlight

This does not feel like a great start to our plan to end the season on an 8-0 run #Canucks

— Dragon Was Slayed (@522IntoOvertime) April 3, 2025

If I asked you to make sure the Canucks playoff chances were brutally shot in the back of the head in this game, in a gangland killing so blatant that it sent a message to the rest of the league that yes, Vancouver’s post-season dreams are dead, I imagine it would play out very much how Jake DeBrusk handled himself on this play:

Yep, that’s Jake. Just straight-up passing the puck directly to Michael Eyssimont. Jake out for a skate and is like, “Sure, that feels like a passing lane, why not?” and just tosses the puck to Jesus’s general direction and lets him take the wheel. Except in this case, Michael Eyssimont is playing the role of Jesus, and he takes the wheel five-hole right through Thatcher Demko’s legs.

I don’t even know how to break this one down further than that. Like, the end takeaway is, “Jake, why would you do that?” That’s where we find ourselves.

Remember in pre-season when he got a really nice assist and he did a fun dance to celebrate it? Those were the days, man.

Best welcome to this place, I’ll show you everything

New period, new vibes, let’s go #Canucks

— MDWhite (@White3D64197) April 3, 2025

Quinn Hughes often resorts to hero ball once he senses his team’s entire identity has resorted to stacking the middle of the ice and kind of hanging out until someone shoots a puck near them, and Wednesday night was no different. The problem with having a lack of talent on the ice due to injuries is that, yeah, a lot of the Hughes hero ball ends with shots from long distance. There is no give and go, no fancy cuts, no high-end shooting. It’s just a lot of Quinn Hughes busting his ass off to try and fire in a low percentage shot from the point into traffic. Which hey, Quinn makes that an effective play. At the very least, it’s the best offensive scheme this team ran on the night.

But it feels like teams are understanding that, so they utilize a quarterback spy system at times against Hughes, where they play a patient game where they do their best to keep Quinn to the outside and play him very passively. And Seattle, to their credit, did this very well. They basically boxed out their crease, and kept the Canucks to the outside, Quinn included. Their ability to counter attack the Canucks with speed, along with this defensive shell, is what won them the game. Ironically, it was a style that I feel like Rick Tocchet dreams about at night.

So it was few and far between for plays where Quinn could cut through the middle of the ice, and on the occasions that he could pull it off, he was throwing thoughts and prayers shots on net:

Clearly, it’s impressive that Quinn can bust out this move, but as a team, you can’t rely on “Sure hope the Cap can slice through three guys and feather in a fadeaway backhander top shelf” as a goal strategy. If you find yourself using EA Sports hockey strategies, it’s a good sign you’re in trouble.

Best with arms wide open

Thank you Demko! #Canucks

— David ays (@CanucksWontWin) April 3, 2025

Jared McCann was the best player from either team, but at least Demko robbed him of getting four points on the night. With Seattle on the power play, somehow they created a breakaway, which I don’t know, feels like a bad thing?

The Canucks penalty killing has been one of their strengths since the JT Miller trade, so we don’t need to over analyze this too much, the Canucks just got caught pushing up a little too strong on this play.

Best well, I don’t know if I’m ready

This is not very #Canucks hockey

— Mak (@UrSoSexyAha) April 3, 2025

Counter point: this was very much Canucks hockey.

You can tell it’s Canucks hockey because of the high amount of low to high passes that ended with a shot into traffic, while Canucks forwards flailed at rebounds:

This may have been one of the least dynamic games I have watched this season. Not a single ounce of creativity in this game aside from Quinn Hughes and, on occasion, Dakota Joshua. Just straight up working in a coal mine, here to do a dirty job mentality on display all night long. Grind out that puck, get it to the point, then stack the GOTI.

It is god awful hockey to watch.

Best to be the man I have to be

como que isso tá acontecendo? Como a gente tá perdendo pros kraken? #canucks

— gigiu (@biblebibmoreira) April 3, 2025

Seattle got their second goal of the night when Vince Dunn starts countered the Canucks forecheck with a spinning outlet pass to Jared McCann that ended with Chandler Stephenson scoring from an angle that brings to mind that Leo DiCaprio meme where he’s squinting at you:

It’s honestly a fantastic play from Dunn, as he draws in two Canucks forwards before he makes the outlet pass, which essentially traps the three Vancouver forwards deep in Seattle’s zone. This leaves Jared McCann, Andre Burakovsky and Chandler Stephenson with a 3-on-2, which ends with Demko worrying about McCann’s potential for the back door tap-in more so than any potential shot glove side, which Chandler graciously takes him up on.

And Demko was right to worry, as Derek Forbort blows his coverage on McCann, so there was indeed a threat for the back door pass. But Demko also offered up so much net to Stephenson that it brings to mind Bugs Bunny wearing a nice ballroom gown and blonde wig, where it becomes clear that an open invitation has been extended.

Best I’ll take a breath, I’ll take her by my side

This team is done. We’re heading into an inevitable rebuild #canucks

— Vlado (@vladstupinsky) April 3, 2025

Hey, you love point shots, right? Well here’s another one, this time courtesy of the Canucks second period power play. This time, it’s Quinn rifling a puck into traffic, while Jake and Brock do their best to get a piece of it:

Which hey, that play has worked in the past. It’s just on a night when you lose 5-0, all those hopeless point shots into traffic just sort of blur into one giant memory of “ok I guess we’re doing this again”.

Best we stand in awe; we’ve created life

Demko gives up 3 goals on 14 shots. #Canucks

— Nikster (@NiksterPen) April 3, 2025

Remember Vince Dunn outlet passes? Remember Jared McCann doing smart things with the puck? Remember bad-angled shots going in glove side? Welcome to the remix edition of the Kraken’s third goal:

Once again, Vince Dunn bombs an outlet pass, this time by ringing it around the boards right to Jared McCann. The former Canuck then skates hard to the net, taking Fil Hronek with him, and as a parting gift, stick lifts Fil into the shadow realm. This leaves Shane Wright with time and space, allowing him to go glove side on Demko, albeit a less egregious angle than the second goal.

Kudos to Jared on this one. That’s just smart hockey right there. Taking your check with you and then flicking his stick up so he can’t get it in the shooting lane? That’s a chef’s kiss moment right there. That’s the kind of play that got Conor Garland a banner up at Rogers Arena. Just fantastic stuff from the former first-rounder.

Best if I had just one wish, only one demand

You deserve a prize if you’re still watching the #Canucks game down 3-0 with single digital chances of making the playoffs at this point.

— Grady Sas (@GradySas) April 3, 2025

But if you didn’t keep watching you might have missed the other half of the Canucks elite, top level GOTI offensive system: the back door play that never actually scores.

This time, it was Elias Pettersson trying to sneak in far post like a young Ed Jovanovski to try and convert a slick pass from Dakota Joshua:

Like, don’t get me wrong; I would take this all day every day over point shots into traffic. It’s just the Canucks conversion rate on these feels abysmal. Which, to be fair, this is one of the better attempts. A lot of the time, they just blindly fire the puck at 100mph in the general area of the net. This one at least felt well-planned and well-executed. It’s just the end result is the same: no goal.

I will say that if there was any silver lining from this game, it was the play of Dakota Joshua. His road from recovery has been a long one this season, but this game was the first one in a while where he had that offensive swagger to his game from last year. He was doing his dekes, essentially, and looked better than he has all year. Played with a confidence we haven’t seen in a while.

Best I hope he’s not like me, I hope he understands

Imagine wasting your money on tonight’s game #canucks

— bavel_puree (@rickcochrane_re) April 3, 2025

Linus Karlsson has been mildly impressive in his latest call-up to the parent club, to the point where I actually find myself kind of intrigued to see how he will fare in the games. That offensive touch I have been told about has finally been on display at times, and once again, he had a shift where he had some juice in his skates:

Now, did this effort end with another god damn point shot, this time from Marcus Pettersson? Yes, of course, it did.

But his puck protection and manual deke he busted out mid-shift gets a giant thumbs-up from me. All season we’ve heard Rick Tocchet talking about wanting his players to hold onto the puck and make plays with it, and this is a great example of what the team needs more of.

Does part of me worry that Linus would get sent to Siberia if he had been stripped of the puck on that deke? Of course I do. The Rick Tocchet system is both unforgiving and complicated.

But I still enjoy watching players make plays that don’t involve dumping the puck in and going for a change.

Best that he can take this life and hold it by the hand

Hronek just ran over Demko #Canucks

— Petey (@Canucks_Fan40) April 3, 2025

You know how I know Quinn Hughes is tired? Eyssimont is out here dangling past Quinn Hughes, ending with Hronek just bodying Demko in his own crease because why not?:

Demko made the nice scorpion save to prevent a goal but yeah. The Canucks are out of gas my friends.

Best and he can greet the world with arms wide open

#canucks Quinn Hughes in a rare show of emotion just did the JT Miller stick break and door slam. He is pissed!!

Management better fix this team and fast.

— The Shadows (@theshadowsua) April 3, 2025

I think Hughes is probably frustrated at a lot of things, mostly how this season has gone. But also because he’s clearly exhausted, and despite skating all over the ice trying to find a shooting lane, he ends up turning the puck over:

Hero ball can be so much fun to watch, but when it falters, it can look so messy. Quinn legit tries to find a shooting lane at least three times on that play, but Seattle just sets up shop and keeps him to the outside, and the end result is it almost turns into a breakaway against the Canucks.

Sometimes Quinn is being asked to do too much, and on this night, it showed.

Best I’ll show you everything, oh yeah

The good news is the #Canucks just have to play the Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, and Colorado Avalanche in the next week(ish).

— Noah Strang (@noahstrang_) April 3, 2025

Jared McCann got his third point of the night on an assist on a Burakovsky goal:

See, this is more of that back door play the Canucks try where they just toss it near the crease and hope some miracle occurs. Forbort is pinching deep and just throws it into blue paint, and Seattle counterattacks it to get their fourth goal of the night.

To Aatu Räty’s credit, he covers pretty damn well for Forbort, and he hustles his ass to get back defensively even after pinching up a little too high himself. But Seattle also plays the rush really well and finds a way to get the puck to a very open Burakovsky, who scores an easy one.

And while we’re handing out credit, kudos to Forbort for skating his ass back from the other end of the rink to try and help out defensively as well. He actually ends up getting back with time to try and throw a hit on McCann, but Jared makes a brilliant pass to get out of it.

All I’m saying is if that was JT Miller, his controller would have disconnected at centre ice. I have an appreciation for a guy who skates back hard the entire way, even if it seems like there’s no chance to help out.

Best with arms wide open

#Canucks : Where moments become memories

And those memories become trauma

— Blogtrot (@BlogTrot) April 3, 2025

I wouldn’t call it a silver lining because that indicates something of value, which this game offered none of. But I will once again say that Dakota Joshua was one of the few bright spots on a miserable night. Down 4-0, he was still out there going to the right spots on the ice and almost tapped in a back door pass from Quinn Hughes:

Again, that play seems to never work for Vancouver, but damn it, on paper, that’s a good play from Dakota.

Best wide open

For everything Holy…. Allow Hughes to book a tee time starting tomororow. #Canucks

— Bobby C (@combat_stance) April 3, 2025

The Canucks pulled their goalie with under five minutes left, but don’t worry, they didn’t even get a chance to try a point shot into traffic.

Instead, they failed to recover their dump in, and Seattle counter-attacked one last time to get their fifth of the night:

And that was the ball game.

Folks, we are officially in the “let’s hurry up and end this damn season” mode. No more pining for playoffs. No more number crunching. We’re firmly in the “You know what, losing is probably for the best” part of the season.

With arms wide open, of course.

See you Saturday bloody morning.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/stanch...ason-life-support-shutout-loss-seattle-kraken

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks’ Brock Boeser listed second on Daily Faceoff’s list of top 50 NHL UFAs

As the end of the regular season approaches and teams gear up for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s worth keeping an eye on some players who might become available this summer.

That includes some currently wearing a Vancouver Canucks sweater right now.

Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli released his top-50 unrestricted free agents on Thursday, featuring big names who might test the waters come July 1, like Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares.

A couple of familiar names are on that list, including Canucks winger Brock Boeser.

According to Seravalli, Boeser is the second-best pending free agent behind Marner. Even though he’s having a down year compared to his career-best 2023-24 season – which saw him score 73 points in 81 games – Boeser is still a viable scoring threat. Despite all of the drama that has happened around the team this season, Boeser has managed to score 24 goals and 22 assists for 46 points, currently tied for the team lead in goals with Jake DeBrusk, sitting second in overall scoring behind captain Quinn Hughes.

Boeser’s name was in trade conversations prior to the trade deadline, but Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin stated that the offers for the longtime Canuck weren’t enough to close a deal.

Boeser is in the final season of the three-year contract he signed in July 2022, with a cap hit of $6.65 million, the second-highest-paid forward on the roster behind Elias Pettersson. According to Seravalli and AFP Analytics, the 28-year-old’s next contract could see him have an AAV of $9.1 million over seven years.

The other Canuck to crack the top 50 is forward Pius Suter. Listed at 25 on Seravalli’s list, the Swiss centreman has been a capable scoring option for Vancouver this season and just had a four-game point streak snapped on Wednesday night in Vancouver’s loss to the Seattle Kraken. Suter amassed two goals and eight points over his little run.

Suter joined the Canucks on a two-year deal in August 2023, carrying a cap hit of $1.6 million. After notching 29 points last year, the 28-year-old has set career highs in goals (22) and points (42) in 2024-25, placing him sixth on the team in scoring.

According to AFP, Suter could see a big payday if he hits the market, with his projected contract set to be a four-year deal around $3.9 million per year.

Of course, none of these projected contracts could come to fruition if Boeser and Suter sign extensions prior to free agency opening up.

The Canucks (34-28-13) are fifth in the Pacific Division, eight points back of the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with seven games left in the regular season.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...ed-second-daily-faceoffs-list-top-50-nhl-ufas