The World Junior Championship always offers an intriguing glimpse into the NHL’s future. But for the Vancouver Canucks, this year’s edition comes with far more riding on it.
Armed with two first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft — one of which could land near the very top of the board — the organization and its beloved followers have an added incentive to monitor this year’s tournament closely. While much of the focus will fall on recently drafted forward Braeden Cootes (Canada), he is far from the only reason Canucks fans should be invested. This year’s event features a deep group of draft-eligible talent, many of whom project in first-round territory and could factor into the franchise’s next wave of youth.
Here are the players worth watching through a Canucks lens at the 2026 World Juniors.
Top of the board
Gavin McKenna enters this year’s tournament with more eyes on him than any other player in this class. Once viewed as the crown jewel of the 2026 draft, the Whitehorse native now carries something to prove after questions began to surface during his transition to the NCAA.
McKenna is expected to play a significant role for Team Canada, and this tournament represents a prime opportunity to remind scouts why his offensive ceiling remains so tantalizing. His vision, creativity, and ability to find seams quickly are considered elite. And for Canucks fans, he’s a name worth watching not only for a potential gold medal run, but as a possible franchise-altering forward should Vancouver land a top pick.
If McKenna is trying to reassert himself, Ivar Stenberg is pushing hard to leapfrog him as that unanimous top forward. The Swedish winger has been one of the biggest risers in this draft class and enters the tournament with genuine momentum.
Stenberg brings high-end skill, but what separates him is his competitiveness and completeness. He impacts the game in all three zones and doesn’t rely solely on offence to drive value. Of course, scoring at a potential historic high in the SHL, there is tons to be excited about in the offensive department.
For fans who may already be locked in on McKenna, this tournament could be the one that changes minds.
Rankings continue to swing back and forth, but the consensus among most pundits has Keaton Verhoeff as this year’s top-ranked defender. Considering the names on Canada’s backend, the 17-year-old may not see high minutes throughout this tournament. But even making Team Canada alone speaks volumes about his trajectory.
Verhoeff isn’t flashy, but he plays a composed, efficient game and projects as a versatile, high-floor defender. If rounding out an already budding blueline is what the Canucks are after, Verhoeff’s two-way game is a safe bet.
High-ranked climbers
While Verhoeff has held his spot, Chase Reid has surged up draft boards with remarkable speed. The right-shot defenceman has been outstanding in the OHL, combining strong skating with vision and offensive instincts that translate well at pace. Sitting second among OHL defenders in scoring, Reid has quietly worked himself into top-10 — and potentially top-five — territory of the 2026 draft.
For a Canucks organization that values mobile defenders who can move the puck, Reid’s tournament play could make him a name to circle early.
Another defender worth watching is Carson Carels, who, like Verhoeff, earned a spot on Team Canada at just 17. His role may be limited, but his ability to handle heavy minutes at the junior level, sometimes north of 30 minutes, suggests he won’t be overwhelmed.
Carels skates well, plays with confidence, and has shown the ability to bring high-end power-play quarterback potential. If the team’s three-game preliminary stretch showed us anything, it’s that Carson Carels is ready to make a statement and boost his draft stock heading into the back half of the season.
Mid-round targets
Latvia’s Alberts Smits faces a tall task as Latvia’s top defenceman, but he’s built for it. Standing 6-foot-3 and already accustomed to playing against men in Finland’s Liiga, Smits brings a steady two-way presence that doesn’t always show up on the scoresheet. He moves the puck well, defends with authority, and should log significant minutes throughout the tournament. For evaluators, this is a player you’ll need to watch live to fully appreciate, as the stats may not show up well in this type of environment.
Adam Novotny, already highlighted on our draft eligibility list here at CanucksArmy, will be a key player for Czechia. The 6-foot-1 winger is enjoying a strong rookie season in the OHL and plays a mature, two-way game built on skating, effort, and a reliable release. We’ve really liked what he’s brought to his North American game, and this tournament should allow him to showcase his ability to contribute in all situations as a big-role player on this Czech roster.
Having him in the “mid-round targets” section may be seen as controversial. Once considered a top prospect among this crop, Viggo Björck – brother of current Canucks prospect Wilson – has seen his stock drop since day one of the season. But it’s not because of his skillset.
Despite being an undersized forward, Björck is dynamic with the puck and capable of taking over games in short bursts. Look no further than his performances against Canada during the preliminary round. He’s going to be a vital fixture to Sweden’s offensive punch, and this tournament could set the stage for a massive revitalization in his stock. Given the amount of skill, combined with the brotherly connection, he’s a player that Canucks fans should keep a close tab on.
The Finnish centre isn’t stealing highlight packages, and it’s unlikely this Finnish team will give the young pivot an enormous platform to work off. But he’s a highly responsible and powerful centre whose game focuses on the defensive side more than most. His defensive awareness, strength, and projectable middle-six traits make him an interesting option in the mid-ranges of the first, particularly for teams prioritizing structure down the middle.
Juho Piiparinen offers a similar appeal to Suvanto, but from the back end. The right-shot defender isn’t going to wow with offence, but he skates well, processes the game with a strong hockey mind, and won’t stand out with many poor plays. His upside may be limited, but his floor is appealing. The best way to describe Juho Piiparinen’s game is simple: he’s just solid.
Back-half options
Tomas Chrenko represents one of the more creative options likely to be available later in the draft. The smaller Slovakian centre plays with flair, soft hands, and deceptive skating, making him a difficult matchup despite his frame. Already playing against men, he should be a fixture for Slovakia and a player whose value could rise with a strong showing.
William Håkansson rounds out the list as a stabilizing defensive presence for Sweden. At 6-foot-4 and over 200 pounds, he brings size, composure, and experience against men in the SHL. He won’t dominate offensively, but he plays a reliable, structured game and should see top-four minutes throughout the tournament.
The World Junior Championship is rarely a definitive measure of talent. But it does offer a solid piece of the puzzle.
With two first-round picks in hand and one potentially near the very top of the board, the Canucks brass and its followers should be watching this tournament with a fine-toothed comb.
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The Christmas gifts have been handed out. The turkey dinner has been eaten.
Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy one of the most anticipated stretches of hockey on the calendar — the U20 World Junior Championship.
Kicking off on Boxing Day, eight of the tournament’s 12 teams opened their slate, with two Vancouver Canucks prospects in action.
Sweden opens with a 3-2 win — without Björck
Wilson Björck’s Team Sweden officially opened its tournament against Slovakia. Thanks to a late third-period dagger from top draft-eligible forward Ivar Stenberg, the Swedes skated away with a narrow 3–2 victory.
WHAT A TUCK!
Ivar Stenberg with the CLUTCH go-ahead goal with just a few minutes to go in the game! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/oZkvvupjFJ
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 26, 2025
Unfortunately for Canucks fans, Björck was one of Sweden’s healthy scratches and did not factor into the win.
Canada survives a wild opener against Czechia
That evening, Team Canada kicked off its tournament against a familiar thorn in its side: Czechia. A matchup that has delivered drama in recent years lived up to expectations once again.
Braeden Cootes centred Canada’s fourth line and did not see time on special teams. He took the ice for just 12 shifts for a total of 9:21 of ice time in the win.
The game opened with a back-and-forth first period. Nashville Predators prospect Brady Martin got Canada on the board first, finishing off a tremendous centring feed from top draft-eligible forward Gavin McKenna.
The lead didn’t last long. Tomáš Poletín tied the game after being left unchecked in front, deflecting a point shot past Canadian netminder Carter George.
Canada regained the lead late in the second period when Michael Hage trailed the play, took a pass in stride, and ripped a pinpoint shot off the crossbar and in.
BARDOWN FROM MICHAEL HAGE!
Canada leads 2-1! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/TKrUKvkZHX
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 27, 2025
Czechia responded in the middle frame with back-to-back goals from Vojtěch Čihař and Petr Sýkora, giving the Czechs their first lead of the tournament.
With time winding down, Zayne Parekh scored a massive goal to even the score before the period’s end. The defenceman ripped home his first of two goals on the night to tie the game, then struck again early in the third to restore Canada’s lead.
ZAYNE PAREKH WITH THE SNIPE!
We're all tied up! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/NKdDOuXPiv
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 27, 2025
ZAYNE PAREKH WITH ANOTHER SNIPE, THIS ONE TO GIVE CANADA THE LEAD!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/k6eFAQfIrS
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 27, 2025
Once again, Czechia answered. A wild bounce off the end boards kicked directly to Poletín, who batted the puck past George for his second of the game.
Just over a minute later, Tij Iginla responded, stepping into a Michael Misa drop pass and firing another perfectly placed shot to make it 5–4.
Before the midway point of the third, the two-time undrafted defenceman — and current Canucks prospect Parker Alcos’ defensive partner in Edmonton — Ethan MacKenzie scored his first of the tournament to provide Canada with some insurance and the eventual game winner.
Canada wouldn’t look back. Despite one final push from the Czechs, the Canadians held on for a thrilling 7–5 victory to open their tournament on a high note.
What’s next
Canada will face Latvia on Saturday, December 27, at 1:30 p.m. PT — one year to the day after Latvia made history by dramatically upsetting the Canadians.
Basile Sansonnens and Team Switzerland open their tournament against the United States later that day, with puck drop set for 3:00 p.m. PT.
Meanwhile, Wilson Björck and Team Sweden will enjoy a day off before returning to action on Sunday against Switzerland at 11:00 a.m. PT.
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It’s been just over two weeks since the Vancouver Canucks dealt their captain and all-time defenceman scoring leader Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. The blockbuster deal was arguably the biggest trade in the team’s 56-year history, sending a generational defenceman in or at least nearing his prime for Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Öhgren, and a 2026 first-round pick.
The decision to trade Hughes certainly didn’t come as a surprise; there had been plenty of rumours leading up to the trade, and there was some indication that he wasn’t likely to re-sign when his contract was up at the end of the 2026-27 season.
It’s been said many times that the Canucks would never be able to “win” a Quinn Hughes trade. That being said, the return of Buium, Rossi, Öhgren, and a 2026 first isn’t something to complain about, especially when you consider the current state of this franchise.
There were a ton of mixed reactions to the deal for various reasons, but it’s safe to say the overall response to the return was fairly positive.
All of that being said, let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of the trade.
Pros
The first pro is that the team brought in three good young players, along with a first-rounder. This gives fans a sense of direction from the franchise, something everyone has been asking for for years. Jim Rutherford said the word rebuild, although Patrik Allvin later called it a “hybrid re-tool” after the Canucks rattled off four wins, so do with that what you will. At the very least, we now know that the front office knows they aren’t good enough to compete and rather than taking chances on veterans, being stuck in the mushy middle, and hoping the team can get hot for a playoff run, they’re getting younger and attempting to develop these young players to build a true contender.
This is a breath of fresh air, as we’ve seen other Canucks management regimes continuously attempt the quick fixes and retools that have helped the team win just two playoff rounds since their Stanley Cup Final loss in 2011.
It’s been a long time coming, but this move certainly signals the team is learning from their mistakes and hopefully, is kicking this rebuild into high gear.
The second pro is both the volume and quality of both the players and the pick the Canucks got back. Everyone saw the trade proposals on social media from other fan bases, people saying their team wouldn’t give up their top five prospects and young players for Hughes because he was “going to leave anyway”. Cough, cough, Devils fans.
Clearly, the Wild were serious and offered up the best defensive prospect in their pipeline in Buium, along with a proven 24-year-old second-line centreman in Rossi and a 21-year-old winger with lots of potential in Öhgren, plus a first-round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft. Given the draft position of these players, it essentially makes this deal four first round picks for Hughes. It’s a good haul.
Buium has the potential to be something special on the Canucks blue line for a long time, Rossi has already proven he can handle a top-six role in Minnesota and will have even more opportunity to grow in Vancouver, and Öhgren is going to have a ton of chances to play bigger minutes than he likely would have seen with the Wild, and for that reason, is also going to have lots of opportunity to grow into a big contributor for the Canucks.
The first-round pick is another piece that the Canucks needed. With a fairly weak prospect pool, they get the chance to add some much-needed strength and organizational depth, particularly in a good draft year that 2026 is said to be.
Overall, the return can certainly be considered a pro.
The final pro is that the team is better now. We’ve seen them go 4-1-0 since the trade, and adding Rossi in particular adds much-needed depth down the middle of the ice.
No more David Kampf centring the first line.
With a healthy Elias Pettersson as well, this team actually looks like a decent NHL roster, with two good top-six centremen and solid depth throughout the lineup.
Cons
Now, I realize I listed the team as being better now as a pro, and it is. Canucks hockey is more fun to watch when the team can compete and isn’t losing every game. Though it does need to be said that this could be viewed a con as well. This team isn’t going on a St. Louis Blues 2018-19 miracle run from last place to a Stanley Cup win. They might be good enough to pick outside of the top five, though, which would hurt them long term. This team is still nowhere near being competitive, and adding a top-five or even top top-three pick to the team would be huge in building for the future.
The aforementioned depth, specifically down the middle, does threaten the Canucks’ tanking ability.
Another con that needs to be noted is the franchise’s failure to build around Quinn Hughes. They lucked into the greatest defenceman in franchise history, drafting him seventh overall in 2018. He played 459 games during his time in Vancouver, scoring 432 points, and yet the team couldn’t make it past the second round of the playoffs.
Rather than building around this cornerstone piece, they kept getting themselves into trouble with the cap, rushed out of their retooling phase, and failed to build a team that could consistently qualify for the playoffs, let alone contend for the Stanley Cup.
The fact that the team had to move on from their captain is a failure and a con in itself.
The last con is the fact that this sets the timeline back. Canucks fans have been craving more of that playoff energy. They got a taste a couple of years ago and certainly want more. Who wouldn’t? It’s fun when your favourite team is competitive and winning games. Although the team wasn’t going anywhere this year, having Quinn Hughes on your team, you wouldn’t have been able to count them out for next year. Now that he’s gone, there’s no real telling as to when the Canucks can get back to the playoffs, but as mentioned in the pros, at least there is somewhat of a sense of direction here.
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The Vancouver Canucks‘ “worst for first” drive continued Saturday night, as they closed out a solid 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena.
As with any good loss, the Canucks made sure to showcase a little bit of promise, before ultimately losing their grip on the game and thus solidifying their position at the bottom of the standings. At one point in the third period, the Canucks were a mere power play goal away from tying things up, before ultimately losing out to the more advanced rebuild from the Sharks.
For the rest of the season, we’re going to be kind of caught in between two planes of existence, the one where you recognize that losing is good, even if it makes a lot of the hockey excruciating to watch. And the other plan in which you allow yourself to enjoy a few moments of high-level play from the Canucks. You’re watching the team lose, but also trying to walk away with some positives to help you sleep at night.
And what stood out to me in this game, aside from the youth of the Sharks’ forwards being light years ahead of the Canucks, was the play of Conor Garland. With a team having every reason to lose and fold up shop, it felt like Garland kept dragging his team back into the fight in this one. And that isn’t to say the rest of the team isn’t trying, far from it. I will say that when you watch this team, it’s genuinely a talent issue, not an effort issue.
But Garland was the one guy with enough skill to combine with the will to actually tilt the ice in his favour at times. With Quinn Hughes gone, those shifts where a Canucks player steps up and tries to win a game for their team, it’s kind of few and far between. Jake DeBrusk, Brock Boeser, and more of the passenger-type players who need someone to drive for them, leaving Conor Garland and Elias Pettersson to do most of that heavy lifting.
And with Garland, I think he’s been the most reliable forward for the Canucks in that regard. Even when down two goals, there was Garland chirping Adam Gaudette on the bench, telling him there was a lot of time left in this game. He just has no quit in him, and you can see it on the ice. The guy battles every shift, even in a season in which it’s pretty clear things are going off the rails.
Which brings us to Elias Pettersson, who deserves some grace for this being his first game back after injury. But this is also a player who has struggled to be consistent in the offensive zone, and has had relatively few games in which he has carried the play like a top player should. Yes, defensively, no one can question his efforts, but on a night like tonight, you just watch the attitude and play of Garland, and you can’t help but wish EP40 could emulate some of that. We just haven’t seen that kind of swagger from Elias in several seasons now, and the spotlight is only going to get brighter as the season continues.
I don’t know; it just feels like the JT Miller/Elias Pettersson feud poisoned the water, and you can’t help but wonder if he needs a fresh start, too.
That being said, I just watched Macklin Celebrini have an “off game” in which he had two points and around 738 shot attempts (roughly), so perhaps my cynicism is suffering from the recency bias of watching another team’s superstar player develop into a top player in the league right before our very eyes.
Then you turn around and see the Sharks have plugged in Igor Chernyshov into the lineup, a 6″3, 200 pound forward, and he already has five points in five games.
Then you hear a noise behind you and you remember Will Eklund is coming into his own.
Then you turn around and see Will Smith isn’t even playing and you realize it could have been much worse.
Then you do one final spin and realize the Sharks are terrible defensively and still have a ways to go on their full rebuild, and you realize the Canucks really need to make the next two drafts work in their favour to try and keep up.
All of which is to say that there are probably going to be a few more long nights ahead of us, as the trade deadline is rapidly becoming the most important part of this season for Vancouver.
Let’s jump into this one.
Sure, Hughes got three assists and helped the Wild tie the game up last minute and win in overtime, BUT THAT DOESN’T MATTER. The important thing is the true North remembers.
Elias Pettersson made his return to the lineup for Vancouver, which means the trade rumours can begin anew. I just sort of assume everyone from the 2024 NHL All-Star picture must be traded as quickly as possible, in a less violent reboot of Final Destination. No one gets hurt or maimed by trucks carrying logs, but you eventually get sent away from Vancouver because of some sort of close encounter with death/Gary Bettman and/or two players had a hissy fit and ripped apart an entire locker room.
Also somehow Collin Delia is a central figure to this curse. I don’t know how or why, but I feel it in my bones. Like, he’s the guy who reads from the book in the Mummy. He fed a cursed seagull at Granville Island or something.
Tom Willander skates real good and stuff, which can be enjoyable when he goes on an offensive foray, or when he tracks down an opponent on the back check.
In this case, Jeff Skinner, who is officially in his Tommy Vanek hired gun phase of his career, was shut down by a speedy Willander effort:
I’d like to think in five years when Jeff Skinner is on his 9th team, scoring his 15 goals a season, Willander will be there again to shut him down on a rush or two.
I also hope somewhere Jeff Tambellini does the Rudy clap of approval after seeing it.
Kiefer Sherwood is basically on Love Island at this point, and it would be silly of him not to explore a relationship with any of the new bombshells that come into the villa. And as it stands now, there are probably around 10 teams minimum that would be interested in taking him for a chat in Soul Ties before one of them got mad about him making out with the Ducks and slept in the daybed out of protest.
You might have thought I was done dishing on Love Island but believe me, it’s a far better alternative than jumping back into the game, so can we have a real talk about Love Island Australia needing to up their budget and move away from the truth bike? If your Love Island show doesn’t have Casa Amor, what are we even doing here? In closing, gang gang.
Anyways, would the Sharks be interested in Mr. Sherwood? They are still a team finding their way, but they have a lot of pieces in place to turn into a good team real soon, maybe Kiefer is a guy that aligns with their timeline.
And what better way to show your stuff then by landing a huge offside hit and demanding to know why the ref called the play dead:
In a perfect world Sherwood would remain a Canuck because I truly think he brings a needed element to any hockey team, but the team is not really in a position to sit on assets at the deadline. I know, I know, it’s quite easy to run out of time, or so I have been told, but I do think this team can pull it off this season.
That assumes he can still be traded under the hybrid retool rules, which I think he can?
The Sharks opened the scoring when Ryan Reaves got his second point of the season by shoving Thatcher Demko’s blocker and puck into the net off a dribbler of a rebound:
If it wasn’t Team Tank season, maybe this goal angers you. Maybe the Sharks first goal brings to mind the wild wild west days where the Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane Chicago Blackhawks could just sort of push your goalie into the net for a goal and it would count. Back in the days when we used to be a society and things mattered.
But ultimately this is the correct landing point for the Canucks, to lose games.
Would it be nicer if the games were exciting? Of course it would be. But that’s the next stage for Vancouver. Trade off veterans, bring in new blood, and then pray the stench of depression and malaise finally drifts over to Tacoma where it belongs.
Then the Canucks start losing games 6-5, exciting losses, which brings in yet another wave of new blood the year after. Suddenly there is hope in the world because you’re watching 19-22 year olds score goals, and not wondering if David Kampf is secretly Nils Aman in a mask.
If the Canucks bring in enough draft picks over the next two seasons, hell, I bet that would even align with their weird hybrid retool labelling.
This is what the owners need to accept. Short term losses for long term gains. If you don’t have the wallet to ride this wave out, you don’t belong in the game.
Ty Dellandrea then almost scored after banking the puck off of the glass and back through Thatcher Demko’s legs:
It wasn’t a particularly pretty or enjoyable game at the best of times, but again. Big picture here.
Demko was by no means awful on the night, but he also wasn’t going full bubble in this game.
That being said, he probably really really really wants the Sharks second goal back:
John Klingberg, playing on his sixth team in six years, just throws the puck on net, and it kind of finds its way past Demko, to the point that I can’t even get mad at any of the defenders. Can’t even summon up a single swear word to toss Hronek’s way, dude did his job, Demko just didn’t track the puck.
And it’s not even an in-his-prime, 67 points, high-fiving Alex Radulov (remember him?) Klingberg, it’s the current one who has been slowed down by injuries Klingberg. Just throwing the puck on net because hey, why not, what else are you gonna do?
Fun fact: Radulov won a championship in the KHL playing with Richard Panik, who once played with Conor Garland, who once played with Michael Grabner, who as we all know, once played with Mason Raymond.
Makes you think.
With the Canucks trying to figure out life on the power play without Quinn Hughes jogging around for a minute and openly sighing at Elias Pettersson never shooting, it was Conor Garland on this night who got it working on Vancouver’s first goal.
And how did he do it? By passing the puck to Linus Karlsson, utilizing the mini stick hockey approach (sometimes called the Deep and Delish maneuver in Delaware):
The confidence from Garland is what stands out to me on this play. He isn’t afraid to handle the puck and try and wheel by his check, to see if he can open up some room on the ice. This is the kind of thing where you’re like “ok surely Elias Pettersson can do something like this??” because that dude has a shot go go with his handles. Nobody is scared of Conor Garland’s shot. Nobody.
Well ok, maybe Stuart Skinner.
But that’s it! His shot isn’t a threat! It’s why his mini stick hockey approach works because he literally makes it so the puck bounces in off of him. He doesn’t have to do any of the work.
Elias, though? We all remember that first NHL goal he scored. He can laser it in with the best of him. Yet we continue to see him pass out of shots and man, it just feels deflating at times. Why can’t he dangle and create some room for himself and unload some wristers now and then? He used to do that! I remember it! You remember it!
Anyways, Linus Karlsson is a gem and I really enjoy his blue paint game.
One thing you noticed pretty quickly in this game was Macklin Celebrini just sort of popping up like that “Toasty!” guy in Mortal Kombat out of nowhere and getting a shot on net:
The puck is just sort of bouncing around in the Canucks zone and then all of a sudden the puck finds its way to Macklin’s stick and he’s shooting from a high danger spot on the ice. It was something that happened all night long, which just sort of hammered home the “Didn’t Elias Pettersson used to do a bit of that?” disparity I found myself mired in for most of the night. Celebrini finished with just under 20 shot attempts in this game, and that feels like cheating?
Like, if we were playing Warzone, I would definitely report him. That’s all I’m saying.
As for the Canucks, leave it to Conor Garland to find new ways to shut down the kid, as at one point his strewn aside stick blocked a pass from Celebrini to help kill off a penalty near the end of the first period:
That’s just thinking outside of the box right there.
Imagine one day when we’re told if Derek Forbort and Teddy Blueger are still alive, and they join this penalty kill.
The second period? Straight up hot garbage. The kind of garbage you left in the kitchen too long and now you’re embarrassed to take it down the elevator to the trash room because a neighbour might get on and smell it.
There just wasn’t a lot of offensive creativity from Vancouver, and to prove it, I will showcase the highlights.
First you had Max Sasson getting a shot off from the wing after a good pass from Drew O’Connor:
Which, to be fair, that’s a good shot from Max, and Drew O’Connor? He is quickly turning into like the stud of the bottom six. If there is ever a revolution from the bottom two lines, and they want to take out the top guys, it’s going to be lead by DOC, that’s all I’m saying.
Then you had Evander Kane getting a shot off on the rush, this time from a similar looking playing from Kiefer Sherwood:
And then the most dangerous looking chance was probably when Conor Garland set up Brock Boeser for a shot in the slot, a player who last scored when 7-11 still had arcade machines in their store:
All three shots came from the same sort of spot on the ice, so you get the idea. The Canucks generated a handful of chances, but none of them were too dangerous.
Meanwhile Celebrini and Chernyshov were just riding along, taking shots on net, and being all youthful and full of energy:
Bunch of jerks I tell you.
Zeev Buium did not have a great game for the Canucks, as he had several noticeable defensive miscues on the night.
But I will say he continues to show flashes of offensive skill that bode well for the future, such as this evasion that led to a zone entry:
Again, it’s a small thing, and I don’t expect people will be lining up to buy $200 tickets to see a player dangle around another player once on the night, BUT it at least shows promise.
It also shows just how insanely skilled Quinn Hughes was when he first joined the Canucks and was doing stuff like this multiple times in a game from day one.
Honestly, it’s going to be an unfair shadow for Buium to live in, because his normal progress as a young defenceman is never going to be able to live up to what Quinn Hughes did, you just have to hope he can ignore that noise and find a way to continue to evolve his game.
Rossi just got his first goal with the #Canucks !
— Probably But Not Necessarily Ian Bell
The Sharks would get their third goal, this time at the hands of ultra good host Marco Rossi, as he tipped in a rebound past a flummoxed Thatcher Demko:
William Eklund got credit for the goal, but this is where I think we need to copy soccer and denote things as own goals. How can Eklund look his family in the eyes and tell them he scored tonight? How can he live with that lie?
And while it wasn’t exactly a skilled goal, this is what happens when you outshoot your opponent 37 to 27 and double them up in high danger chances. Luck tends to favour the bold and all that.
Part of the process. Just have to hope the owners accept it.
At no point did I think a pass or shot would get completed on this two on one from David Kampf:
Described by one person on social media as “Vey and Chaput mixed into one”, this is just sort of the Kampf offensive zone experience.
Which isn’t even me being snarky. I know it reads that way, but it’s more of an acceptance of his limitations. He is being used in a top six role he is not suited for due to roster issues.
Penalty killing? He’s fantastic. Fourth line center? Feels like a perfect world for him to live in. He’s an upgrade over Nils Aman, 100%.
But anything higher than that, and the guy just isn’t able to put points on the board at a consistent level.
With the Canucks snagging a power play late in the second period, I would be remiss if I didn’t showcase one of Evander Kane’s favourite pastimes: taking a penalty in the offensive zone:
I don’t know, I just giggle every time it happens now. It just feels so familiar and comforting to me now.
Speaking of Corolla Garland dragging the team back into the fight, here he is creating room in the offensive zone, before ending in a goal from Marco Rossi:
Garland’s tenacity pays off as he drives through two Sharks, keeps the puck in the zone, and eventually sets up a point shot that leads to the rebound goal.
Now, is Garland raising his game because he loves and respects sharks in nature, so it naturally brings it out of him in games against the Sharks? Of course he is. But that’s all the more reason to admire him.
With Tyler Myers already in the box serving a penalty, Marcus Pettersson got a penalty for tapping another man’s stick, causing him to drop it (aka one of the dumbest penalties in hockey), which led to an extended two man advantage for the Sharks.
And at first, you just assumed Celebrini would score right away, because that’s sort of his thing.
Demko, though, had other plans:
Then with Macklin feeling a bit too smug, Sherwood stripped him of the puck in his own zone, and almost scored a shorthanded goal:”
Chalk that trade deadline value of Sherwood up to a first rounder and a roster player at this rate.
But alas it finally came to an end when former Canuck and noted head kicker Adam Gaudette made a picture perfect pass to Igor Chernyshov for the Russian’s first NHL goal:
I will give credit to both teams, the third period got considerably more entertaining if anything else.
See? This is the kind of guy you ride with. The guy who isn’t down in the dumps and is still mixing it up with the other team telling them this ain’t over.
I mean, it was over. But Garland at least made them think it might not be over. And that’s all you can ask for.
I’m kind of a trial by fire guy, so I am all for Buium rocking that first unit as long as possible.
Though I do agree when something like this happens, you do hope you aren’t hurting his confidence:
Giving up a breakaway on the power play and then taking a penalty chasing the guy down isn’t a normal strategy to use, but if anything, it’s a unique one?
Perhaps inspired by Garland’s shit-talking of Gaudette, Drew O’Connor would score the Canucks final goal of the night, when he intercepted a pass in his own zone, and sped down the ice to snipe home a sexy looking shot past a slightly dismayed Yaroslav Askarov:
Like I said, if you’re going to tank, at least put on a bit of a show to entertain the fans for a period.
It’s worth noting that Drew O’Connor is actually a play driver for his line. He just skates super hard and generates chances on his own.
We live in a world in which Drew O’Connor is currently more effective at carrying a line over DeBrusk and Boeser.
To get around video clip limitations, I encourage you to watch the video in the tweet, because this was both the most exciting part of the game for the Canucks, and for the people who enjoy dreaming of a better future.
It was the most exciting part of the game because, yeah, that was as close as the Canucks came to tying the game up. They were an inch or two away from making it 4-4 on that shift.
It’s also exciting for the future because Buium showcased his offensive chops on the shift, and made several really good plays during it.
But it’s also kind of sad because Elias Pettersson once again passed out of a prime shooting spot:
Look, we all sat under the Henrik Sedin learning tree, so we all know him passing to Jake DeBrusk isn’t a terrible idea.
But this season is kind of toast, so why not just use it to get your groove back? Get selfish with that puck my man. I agree that his shooting lane was blocked pretty effectively when he first got the puck, but those guys were sliding left to right. Hold onto that puck for half a beat and your shooting lane is wide open again.
That’s the kind of confidence people want to see from Elias. They want to see him holding onto a puck and finding a way to get a shot on net. Nobody is really waiting around hoping to see what scoring spot EP40 will pass out of next.
Just shoot man. Find a way to get the puck on net.
Call me crazy, but I think this kid is going to be a good player one day:
We live in a world in which two local players in Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini are most likely going to light the Canucks up for the next decade, and the closest the Canucks got to having a local kid on their team do well recently was Jake Virtanen.
That feels unfair.
Yes. Yes he is. He is big and skilled, and I am not a size elitist at all, but I do think the Canucks could benefit from having some bigger skilled players.
Yes. This game felt like a warning sign that the Canucks need to stick to the plan and not get too juiced after watching one good road trip.
Gotta feel the burn to make it worth it.
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Welcome back to Stars of the Week at CanucksArmy! Every week, we’ll be bringing you our Top Three best and brightest performers on the Vancouver Canucks that week. Disagree with our picks or have your own stars to nominate? Let us know in the comments below!
This week, the Canucks faced off against former coach Rick Tocchet’s Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-2 loss and hosted divisional rivals the San Jose Sharks at home, ending in a 6-3 loss. Admittedly, this is not the largest sample size of games. You might be wondering how the 2 games + 2 losses = 3 stars equation works. It simply does not. Open your heart to team tank. Everyone can be a star when you’re in 32nd place in the league!
While the rest of us are set to regroup ahead of 2026, the Canucks will likely remain the same team in the New Year. The trade deadline and Olympic break will define just how they end their season, but it is safe to say there won’t be any wild underdog story ahead. Hopefully, the Canucks have been taking some notes from the Sharks on how to execute a rebuild – my apologies, hybrid rebuild.
Thatcher Demko
It cannot be emphasized just how much these two losses are not on the shoulders of Demko. He nearly singlehandedly ensured neither of these games was a full-on blowout loss.
Philadelphia was not a good showing for any Canuck, but Demko was not given much help, either. The Flyers were relentless with their shots on his net, like the raven rapping on Edgar Allan Poe’s chamber door. When all was said and done, Demko’s SV % was .875 with a 4.55 GAA. When you interrogate those numbers a little more, though, the majority of shots Demko faced in the entire game were high danger chances (13), and every single goal he allowed was high danger (4). The Flyers were storming Demko’s crease like the Battle of Helm’s Deep, and the skaters in front of him let them.
Demko shuts the door once again, this time on Owen Tippett’s breakaway chance.
: Prime Video | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/61xrv1cm0R
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) December 23, 2025
After Vancouver was trampled by the Sharks, Demko had an interesting comment suggesting that the Sharks’ first goal should have been challenged for goaltender interference, claiming Ryan Reaves made contact with him. Adam Foote was also asked about this decision, but referenced the precedent that incidental contact when a skater and goaltender are going for the same puck is not, in fact, interference (this is outlined in the 25-26 NHL Rulebook under rule 69.7).
Given that failed coach’s challenges now result in a man advantage for your opponent, I understand the call here. But, truthfully speaking, what do the Canucks really have to lose at this point? Goaltender interference reviews are inconsistent at best, to the point where it’s become an ongoing joke.
Demko’s comment might be viewed as not a great sign for the state of the team’s faith in their own coaching staff, but he echoed what most people watching were probably thinking. A man of the people.
Conor Garland
The Canucks returned to Rogers Arena for their first home game since Quinn Hughes, professionally speaking, got the hell out of dodge. It was basically Conor Garland versus the San Jose Sharks.
Garland factored in on two out of three goals, drew penalties, was a menace against civilized society, and was overall the best player the Canucks had on the ice. He also took a moment to chirp former teammate Adam Gaudette, despite the Canucks being down 4-2 at this point. I thought Garland loved sharks?
It’s hard to tell whether that attitude is hope or hubris, but I’ll take anything right now.
Drew O’Connor
Drew O’Connor netted the final goal against Philadelphia, a melancholy finale for a melancholy game. Then a few days later, he pickpocketed the Sharks on the penalty kill like Oliver Twist for a shorthanded goal – unassisted, at that.
Canucks goal
Drew O'Connor with a goal on the Penalty Kill, and the Canucks make it a one-goal game!
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) December 28, 2025
READ NEXT: ‘It’s embarrassing’: Canucks’ Jake DeBrusk reacts to upcoming healthy scratch
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Look, I don’t think the Canucks are making the playoffs, but if the league decided to stop playing 60 minutes of hockey and award standings points only based on shootouts? I think they might have a shot.
I don’t know how to explain Dominik Hasek Kevin Lankinen’s perfection in shootouts, but I am not here to question it, either. In a season in which we have so little to enjoy, I will take weird phenomena like this and just embrace it. The tank is still the ultimate goal here, but if you can’t enjoy Kevin turning into a literal brick wall the second overtime ends in a hockey game, then what are we even doing here.
And to Lankinen’s credit, the Canucks 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken was much more than just the shootout heroics. We all know that the Canucks netminder has struggled this season, but on this night, he stopped 37 of 39 shots (many of the high danger variety) as he backstopped his team with a tidy .949 save percentage, finishing with a 2.11 goals saved above expected.
In fact, once overtime ended and we all joked the game was already over, but Seattle just didn’t realize it yet, we all kind of looked around and realized we weren’t joking all that much. We’re at the point where if Lankinen does let in a shootout goal, we would all be severely disappointed in him. He has set the bar so high and must continue to live up to this impossible standard, otherwise we’ll have nothing left in this city. This is our identity now. You get to a shootout in Vancouver, you lose, end of story. It’s all we have, don’t take this from us Kevin.
Of course, there were a few other storylines woven in throughout this game. The growing pains without Quinn Hughes continue, as zone exits and entries appear to be a foreign currency that the Canucks currently don’t have on hand, as the team struggled heavily on that front. Conor Garland continues to be the heartbeat of this team, as a spirited fight from the diminutive winger seemed to give the Canucks a spark they sorely needed in the first period.
And yes, Jake DeBrusk was a healthy scratch, as “wingers who sort of exist I guess?” continues to be the tag line for a team in dire need of offensive production.
Look, I like Jake DeBrusk as a player. Obviously we all know he is a very streaky player, as we all fondly remember November Jake. October Jake kind of sucked, though. December Jake hasn’t paid his rent yet and we’re all a bit frustrated with him not emptying the dishwasher. Which means January Jake is going to be amazing, right? The math is right there laid out in front of you, binary is no joke.
But honestly, between you and me, they could have scratched any player not named Fil Hronek and I wouldn’t have batted an eye. Maybe Elias Pettersson too, purely because I wouldn’t have the heart to go online to see the discourse surrounding it, but anyone else? Yeah, sure. Scratch away. I can’t imagine taking anyone out of this lineup would cause a noticeable dent in anything. Possibly Conor Garland as well, that one might be the one guy I’d keep around. Other than that, what’s the worst that’s going to happen? Nobody is lighting the world on fire for this team. At best it jumpstarts a player and gets them going. At worst they get into a fight with another player for reasons, it festers for around a couple of seasons, the general manager locks them in a room and tells them to deal with it, until it eventually implodes and takes down the entire team in a couple of seasons.
Wait.
The point is, when Filip Hronek, Drew O’Connor, and Linus Karlsson are leading the charge for five-on-five offence, you have an awful lot of leeway in lineup choices. It’s hard to tell the coach with a straight face that he can’t take you out of the lineup when you’re struggling to keep pace with Aatu Räty.
And look at that, the Canucks won the game without Jake. I wouldn’t say they played tremendously better without him, but I don’t think anyone missed him on the ice either. Which is the sort of damning indictment that showcases why it’s Tank Season and wins are to be shunned when you’re watching Gavin McKenna do a hard reboot into a first overall pick during the World Junior tournament.
So, much like the city of Langley, the Canucks result was better than you expected…but it’s still ultimately the city of Langley; You wouldn’t want to live there long term and you hope you can get out soon.
Team tank rolls on tomorrow against the Flyers, but for now, let’s dive into the game.
Brazil nuts that is, because who likes them? What better way to let a team know you are in a heated rivalry than by showing them ugly nuts?
And Kevin Lankinen? He was locked in. This was prime October/November 2024 Kevin Lankinen on Monday night, the kind of Kevin you brag to your parents about.
Kaapo Kakko wants to score on Lankinen? Sorry, gonna need better than that:
This was not a pretty game by any stretch of the imagination. When two basement-dwelling teams face off against each other, it’s usually a solid display of uninspired hockey. The Canucks’ young defence had some struggles as well, as Zeev Buium showcases in that first clip.
Which is why sometimes you just have to enjoy what you can, you know? I imagine the players don’t enjoy losing (just taking a wild guess here), and I don’t think “tanking for Gavin!” is a rallying cry that fills them with too much inspiration. So yeah, sometimes when a player is locked in like Kevin was, I just go along for the ride. What else are you gonna do, you know?
And as we’ve said in the past, it’s not an effort issue with this team, it’s the skill gap issue. It doesn’t make the games any easier to watch aesthetically, but it sure feels better than watching a skilled team not trying in a losing season.
So let’s get back on track here and answer the important questions. Did Tyler Myers take a penalty? You’re damn right he did!
Here is Ben Meyers committing some Meyers on Myers crime, as he walks right around the Chaos Giraffe, forcing Lankinen to make a stop in the slot:
Amusingly enough, the veteran defenceman on the team in Myers and Marcus Pettersson struggled the most in this game, as up next we have MP3 getting absolutely dog walked by Jordan Eberle shortly thereafter:
So leave it to Tom Willander to step up big and make a goal-saving block to show the veterans the “right way to play” a couple of shifts later:
As you can tell from the clips, it’s a bit of a greasy game you have on your hands. Resist the urge to wipe your lap, try and use wet wipes, but please don’t flush them down the toilet. I know you’ve done that in the past Chris, but stop it. Yes, I am talking to you.
While Ray Ferraro tried to say he felt like this was one of Brock Boeser’s best games in recent memory, I wasn’t seeing it? He had another unflattering showing in my humble opinion, and his underlying stats put him at the bottom of the team. Last in expected goals at 5 on 5, last in Corsi, only one shot, yet had the most ice time of any forward. His line also had the most offensive zone starts as well, so it wasn’t like he was working from behind. Just wasn’t a banner night for Brock.
We’re at the point where, yeah, if they healthy scratched Boeser, it would be right in line with taking Jake out of the lineup. Throw Evander Kane into the mix as well while we’re at it. Why not.
Elias Pettersson, on the other hand, showed a little more oomph. He scored a goal, which we will see later, and he was once again making smart defensive decisions on the ice. It felt like he was visible for some good reasons at the very least.
His hockey IQ was on display on the penalty kill when he read a pass and intercepted it neatly to kill off an offensive zone entry from the Kraken:
And while I don’t think “falling to the ice and using my ribs to torpedo my opponent” was the gameplan here, you can at least see the effort he makes in every zone:
At the very least, Rachel Gunn might have learned some new moves watching that play.
I also had high hopes that EP40 grabbing the puck and shooting into traffic was a sign of things to come in the game:
He didn’t pass out of it, he didn’t hold onto the puck and softly smother the play in the corner until it died, crying and apologizing about how he was sorry this had to happen, he just grabbed the puck and ripped it.
Now, personally? I drop to my knees in Walmart any chance I get to scream at Elias to shoot the puck as much as possible, but sadly, he finished with only two shots on net. The good news is that he was third in shot attempts with six, but yeah. That 11.6 million dollar price tag means you’re not exactly going to be celebrating shot attempt production anytime soon. At the end of the day, Elias Pettersson needs to find his form and become that number one center he used to be. Which starts with getting shots on net, and not “shits on net” like I almost typed by accident.
Former Canucks first rounder Jared McCann showed off a heck of shot in his short time with the Canucks, and wouldn’t you know it, that continues to be the case now, as he worked a quick little give-and-go for a piss missile one-timer goal to make it 1-0 Seattle:
Fun fact: only three players drafted after McCann have scored more career points than him: David Pastrnak, Adrian Kempe, and Brayden Point.
Fun fact number two: Jacob Middleton was the last selection taken in the 2014 NHL draft, and has played 339 career games and currently plays with some person named Quinn Hughes.
Fun fact number three: While an impressive career despite being picked dead last, Jacob still has a way to go to catch Patric Hornqvist, who was picked last in the 2005 draft. He ended up scoring an incredible 543 points and played over 900 games in the NHL.
Fun fact number four: Jason Cugnet was a goalie drafted in 1995 in the 9th round by the Vancouver Canucks, and I only bring this up in the hopes someone who knows him sees this and sends him a picture of his name drop, wondering why we’re talking about him.
Anyways, that was a nice shot from Jared.
Some gifs need sound, and this is one of them.
And while I think forced fights can be absolutely soul draining when done at the wrong time, there is a marked difference between Vinnie Desharnais sadly dropping his gloves and going through the motions on Brock Boeser’s behalf, versus Conor Garland owning up to a questionable elbow he threw earlier in the game on McCann and them settling it on the ice themselves.
It just all feels very Yellowstone, with men riding horses and spitting out tobacco as they air their grievances with fisticuffs, so they can all move on.
And that was a really good fight from two players who aren’t exactly UFC ready. Though I will say that at the end of the fight, Garland throws in a Shoryuken that catches Jared, before Corolla drags him down to the ice for the takedown. I think that one sealed the fight for Garland on the judges scorecards.
You can see the bench is pumped about the fight, Kiefer Sherwood in particular seems absolutely delighted by the turn of events, and it gave some juice to the Canucks. After looking pretty listless to start the game, the team had some energy after watching Garland throw ham bones. They in fact would almost immediately score right after the tussle when Liam Öhgren jumped up off of a faceoff and found Linus Karlsson alone in front of the net:
First off, that’s a very smart play from Liam. He continues to be a guy that intrigues me, he just has this good combination of a heavy game combined with a delightful tease of skill. It’s like he’s flirting with you from across the bar, he seems so approachable and part of you can’t help but wonder if there’s a 50 point player in him somewhere.
As for Linus Karlsson, he continues to impress me with his blue paint game. This is one of those reasons I don’t particularly miss Jake DeBrusk, because Karlsson has been doing the same net front game as Jake, except better, and for a much cheaper price tag. He just has no fear setting up in the crease and has shown an NHL finish when he gets the puck down low.
And moments later, the duo almost scored again, with Karlsson crashing the net and causing chaos before sending the puck back into the slot for Ohgren, who just couldn’t find a handle on it:
Again, this wasn’t particularly inspiring hockey, and not much will be when a team is heading down a tank-based path. But there are some silver linings to be found when you watch some of these young kids play.
The Canucks would then give up a goal with under a minute left in the period when Zeev Buium went for an ill-timed line change, leaving Tyler Myers and D Elias Pettersson to try and figure out how to make it all work:
I haven’t been enamored with DP25’s game this year, I think his decision making has been exposed somewhat in the Adam Foote’s Whacky Inflatable World of Defensive Stuff We Try and Do system, and his gap control has been problematic at times.
When you add in Tyler Myers chaotic nature where I don’t even think he knows what he’s going to do on some plays, it can lead to moments where yeah, two dudes collide and give up a two on nothing rush that ends in a goal. The best I can make out is that Tyler Myers and Elias Pettersson both thought they were going to take the puck, then both decided that the other guy was going to take it, so they both backed off. It was synchronized mistakes at least, which is beautiful in its own way.
All I know is that when Elias Pettersson first jumped on the ice, everything was fine:
But half a second later, he was backing up and colliding with Tyler Myers:
In the blink of an eye, it had all fallen apart.
I don’t have a ton of exciting highlights, but what I do have are small little things that I picked out that made me half smile. That’s the bar here, folks, and will continue to be so for the rest of the season.
So let’s all enjoy Ohgren pursuing the puck, using his big body to win the puck battle, and having the skill and patience to maintain control of the puck and getting it back to the point for a shot attempt:
I am interested to see how he develops, what can I say. I like his skill set. It feels alluring, and if Judd Brackett liked it enough to draft it in the first round, I feel like that’s a good sign.
The best offensive play of the game for Vancouver by far was their second goal, in which Zeev Buium and Tom Willander passed the puck down the ice to Evander Kane, who then found EP40 in the slot for the shot:
Things to note on this goal:
- Elias Pettersson directing traffic. You can see him motioning to Willander for the pass to go to Evander Kane and not himself, which led to the efficient zone entry.
- The Canucks defence is young, my friends. 20-23-year-olds are going to make their share of mistakes, but it’s also nice when they come together to combine on a goal like this. I don’t know what the future holds for this team, but it’s nice when you get a glimpse of something good out there.
- EP40 shot the damn puck. No hesitation, he just did a little dingle dangle and unleashed his laser. That’s the Elias everyone needs to see more of.
It is just SO very #Canucks to end up with a penalty that literally nobody knows is a penalty
— Coco (@AllLoveCoco) December 30, 2025
The penalty in question was when D Petey grabbed a visor and was then penalized for it:
I like the snarl to DP25’s game, I think he’s one of the top guys on the team who loses their shit anytime you breathe on a Canucks goalie. But with that comes face washes, and in this case, grabbing a visor and giving it a shake, which is a no-no in the NHL.
Luckily for Vancouver, they killed off the penalty, but the team continued to struggle to get the puck out of their zone, which led to more chances for Seattle.
A good example of this is when Willander and EP40 combined to both turn over the puck on the same play, leading to a scoring chance for the Kraken:
The same duo then combined to give up an odd-man rush when both players jumped up in the offensive zone, leaving Buium the task of trying to clean it up:
Wasn’t a slick night of hockey, you know?
Watching this game and not missing Debrusk at all #canucks
— -Rutherford's-Traded Quinn Hughes
(@Jhammy51) December 30, 2025
The Canucks did have their moments in the second, most notably when Max Sasson did a little deke of his own, getting the best look of the period against Joey Daccord:
Please note Linus Karlsson being hard on the puck and creating enough of an issue to prevent Seattle from getting a stick on the loose puck. The guy grinds hard, and I dig it.
You also had Conor Garland being the resident tough guy of the time, this time making sure he’s out there finishing checks:
I don’t think the Canucks should assign a captain this season, but I will say I think Garland has stepped up into the leadership void in a huge way. He is constantly trying to drag his team back into the fight and although Lankinen will, and fully deserves, to get the spotlight, Conor was a big factor in this victory.
You also had Elias Pettersson setting up Marco Rossi for an offensive rush on the powerplay that ended in a missed shot, but it’s the thought that counts:
Nothing groundbreaking, nothing to write home about, but I needed to include these highlights so Quads doesn’t yell at me about missing any action.
It’s not just the points with Quinn Hughes, it’s the lack of puck control.
Like, we all knew he was the best player on the team by far with the puck, we saw it night in and night out. And I know nobody took it for granted that he was a wizard with the puck. But there is still something very stark about watching life without Quinn Hughes because zone exits with possession are a mythical unicorn at this point, much less a zone entry with possession.
It was just a lot of the Canucks either flinging the puck up along the boards and getting cut off:
Or when they did get a zone exit, it was a pass to nobody, which would lead to a turnover and in this case, a scoring chance against:
And even when they’d win a puck battle, like Garland does here, the puck just wouldn’t get out of the zone, forcing Lankinen to make one of his best saves of the night:
It’s ugly hockey at its core, but a necessary one if the tank is to continue.
Kevin Lankinen was the first star in this contest, as Seattle should have easily won this game. You want to take a shot from each faceoff circle? No problem, Kevin won’t sweat it:
To the Canucks credit, they also had some pretty timely shot blocks on the net. DP25 made a huge play on Kakko, deflecting the puck on what looked like a sure goal on an empty net in the third period:
And Tom Willander continues to impress with his speed, as he wins the Jeff Tambellini Back Check of the Night award against Seattle for this effort:
You’ll notice that rush from Seattle started because EP40 just threw the puck in the middle of the ice and hoped something good would happen. This is the height of the Canucks offence right now, hucking the puck into the middle and praying someone finds it.
And with the game coming to a close, Ryan Winterton found his way being Zeev Buium, only to be denied by Kevin:
Lankinen’s rebound control has been his biggest issue on the season, so that rebound to McCann wasn’t great, BUT full credit to Kevin for not sliding over too far, making sure he squared himself up to his net to make the next save.
What is this OT play? Alot of skating, drop passes that lead to nothing but drawing a penalty#Canucks
— R𓃟byn (@Hunny_diva) December 30, 2025
A Canucks overtime is not fun to watch.
Back in the day, when JT Miller didn’t openly hate Elias? Good times. Hughes, EP40, JT Miller, that was an enjoyable romp. You knew JT Miller would either score a breakaway goal or give up a breakaway goal. It had a sense of finality to it.
Nowadays it’s the Canucks grinding out the overtime to try and get it to the shootout, which is weird, and uncomfortable to watch, but when you have Lankinen in net, probably the right strategy?
The Canucks did find themselves in a bit of trouble in overtime when Sherwood and Kane both attempted to take a tripping penalty (Only Evander was give two minutes):
Best part of that? Sherwood unloading a slapshot into the empty net like the true troll he is. That should raise the asking price on him to three first rounders.
But you also had Fil Hronek continuing to be the only defensive player who shines in the Adam Foote system, as he continues to be the rock of this defence. Just makes smart decisions and blocks shots when you need him the most:
He has been the absolute stud on the backend for Vancouver this season.
And just for an extra dash of fun, here is Lankinen making one more save in overtime:
Your main takeaway from these clips should be the fact that Vancouver isn’t doing anything offensively in any of them. In fact, Sherwood scoring on the delayed penalty was the closest they got to scoring in overtime.
First up let’s watch stupid Seattle players actually think they might score on Kevin Lankinen:
Patient and calm, there is no goalie better in the league at shootouts than Lankinen. We’re at the point where he’s like the Mariano Rivera of hockey, and if Thatcher Demko got a game to the shootout I would take a long hard moment to think about playing Lankinen’s entrance music and sending him into the game from the bullpen.
And at least this time it didn’t take a campaign from Brock Boeser to get Ohgren into the shootout, as he went third and sealed the game with a breakaway goal worthy of Alex Mogilny:
That is two straight goals where Ohgren is almost too cool for school for me? Look at his smug, knowing look after he scores, I absolutely love it. If the live broadcast had cut to that Jon Hamm meme right after his celebration, I would have happily accepted it.
Just a filthy goal from the newest Canuck, sending Vancouver into a game against the Flyers on Tuesday night against former friend turned quitter Rick Tocchet.
Will the tank continue? We shall see!
Oh, how did this get in here, sorry, trying to delete.
Playing for the second night in a row, the Vancouver Canucks are making three lineup changes ahead of their game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Jake DeBrusk, David Kämpf and P-O Joseph, who were all healthy scratches for last night’s 3-2 shootout win in Seattle, will all draw into the lineup. Nils Höglander, Aatu Räty and defenceman Elias Pettersson will all sit out tonight.
DeBrusk has just one goal in his last 16 games and was taken out of the lineup in an effort to jumpstart his season which has yielded just nine goals – with eight of them coming on the power play. The last time he put a puck in the net was December 14th in New Jersey.
The decision to scratch Höglander and Räty will not sit well with many in the fan base. The Canucks need to figure out what they have in both players and it’s hard for them to play their best when they come in and out of the lineup on a regular basis. This will be the fourth time in the last five games that Höglander has been scratched while Räty will watch for the fourth time in six games.
“We’re going to go day by day, Adam Foote said about his lineup decisions.”You look at our schedule and how condensed it is. I can’t sit here and tell you we’re going to see a lot more of that with our players. With all these games, they get to push each other. There are going to be guys on tired legs and we have to recognize that and maybe give them a break. To get through the schedule, I look at it like we need four lines and six D – we need everyone. That’s a good thing.”
When asked if there are too many bodies around these days and if the team needs a trade to create space for younger players, Foote wasn’t prepared to go down that road.
“Coaches don’t think there are ever too many bodies,” he said. “That’s not my department. I’m just going day by day and trying to put in my instincts what I think has to happen to get the two points.”
P-O Joseph will dress for the first time since a 3-1 loss in Colorado on December 2nd which just happens to be the last time fellow blueliner Elias Pettersson came out of the lineup.
In other news, Adam Foote confirmed that injured centres Filip Chytil and Teddy Blueger both skated at Rogers Arena this morning. Foote placed the timeline for Blueger to return to game action at a couple of weeks.
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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!
Starting Lineup
Warmup #Canucks lines vs. @NHLFlyers
Kane. EP40. Boeser.
Öhgren. Rossi. Garland.
O’Connor. Kämpf. Sherwood.
DeBrusk. Sasson. Karlsson.
MP29. Hronek.
Buium. Myers.
Joseph. Willander.
#DemkoTime
7pm on @Sportsnet650 https://t.co/J6DNM1E8Qt pic.twitter.com/gTwK7FsNz2
— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) December 31, 2025
First Period
Quick note: We are aware of the issue with Twitter/X videos not playing within our website. This is because they want you to leave our site and go to theirs. If you’d like to see a video in this article, click the tweet itself (instead of the media player) and you’ll be redirected to Twitter/X where you can watch the highlight. And of course, for full, uninterrupted videos, be sure to check out The Stanchies later tonight!
Evander Kane fought!
To start things off, the Canucks were firing everything they could on net, and recorded eight shots on goal before the game was even four minutes old. And on that eighth shot, David Kampf buried the puck past Dan Vladar to make it 1-0 in a hurry.
David Kampf opens the scoring tonight! That's his 2nd goal of the season.
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) December 31, 2025
Almost immediately after the goal, the Flyers took the game’s first minor penalty, giving the Canucks’ power play their first chance to work on the night. With Jake DeBrusk back in the lineup and back on PP1, the Canucks’ man-advantage unit looked solid. Despite that, they didn’t score.
That being said, they did continue to continue to rack up the shot totals on Vladar and the Flyers. Philadelphia didn’t come ready to play, and the Canucks, on the second leg of back-to-back games, certainly did. The Canucks put up 10 shots before the Flyers got their first registered shot on goal.
The Flyers would answer, however, as Noah Cates let fly on a wrist shot that was deflected by Liam Ohgren on its way to the net, which changed the angle enough to fool Thatcher Demko.
Noah Cates gets the Flyers on the board. We are tied.
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) December 31, 2025
1-1.
After a tremendous start to the period, the Canucks were pretty quiet for the final ten minutes of the opening frame.
Some takeaways from the first:
-Nice first period, and some good pace from both teams.
-Do NOT like Nils Höglander and Aatu Räty both being out of the lineup. This is a rebuild, isn’t it? Even if it’s a “ultra-cool retool with an extreme hybrid form 3000” or whatever they’re calling it these days, shouldn’t young guys be in the lineup? Nils Höglander has sat for four of the team’s last five games. Nope. Don’t like that.
Second Period
The Flyers kicked off the second period with some solid pressure, and Thatcher Demko made a great save off of Matvei Michkov, who found himself with an early breakaway chance.
The Canucks’ start to the second period was basically the polar opposite of their start to the first period. They were on their heels early, and eventually, that led to a goal against.
Carl Grundström puts the Flyers up 2-1
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) December 31, 2025
2-1.
Jake DeBrusk and Linus Karlsson nearly executed a perfect give-and-go play that would have given DeBrusk his second 5v5 goal of the season, a goal he desperately needs.
Jake DeBrusk and Linus Karlsson connect for a nice passing play but DeBrusk can't beat Vladar
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) December 31, 2025
On the next shift, Liam Ohgren drew a tripping penalty, giving the Canucks their second power play chance of the night. This time, the power play didn’t look as dangerous, and once again didn’t score.
With under five minutes to go, the Canucks’ defensive zone struggles were put on full display, as Travis Konecny was left alone in front of the net and was able to get his own rebound and put the Flyers ahead by two.
The Flyers take a 3-1 lead.
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) December 31, 2025
3-1 Flyers.
Some more takeaways from the second:
-Tom Willander’s abilities on puck retrievals have improved so much since the start of the season. Great to see. He’s starting to do more and more of the little things right.
-This game quickly lost its flow from the first period.
-I so badly wanted to see Jake DeBrusk score a goal on that give-and-go.
Third Period
The third got off to as good a start as anyone could have hoped for for the Canucks, as Drew O’Connor pulled them within one almost right away.
Drew O'Connor cuts the Philly lead to one with his 10th goal of the season!
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) December 31, 2025
3-2!
Annnnddddd it’s gone. Just 20 seconds later, the Flyers jumped out in front by two again.
Aaaaannnnnndddddd just like that the Flyers are back up by two.
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) December 31, 2025
Trailing by two, the Canucks got a power play with just under five minutes remaining. They pulled Thatcher Demko to go to 6-on-4, and Owen Tippett added an empty netter to put the icing on the cake. Or so you thought! Tom Willander was Johnny on the spot and wristed home his second goal of the season to pull the Canucks back within two:
Tom Willander scores his 2nd goal of the season.
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) December 31, 2025
Once again, the Canucks pulled Demko, but it was too little, too late, as the Flyers added another empty-netter.
6-3 final.
Just four wins for the Canucks on home ice heading into 2026.
Some takeaways from the third:
-Stick taps for John Shorthouse. It’s been a miserable season, and yet Shorty somehow manages to keep us all entertained.
-The Flyers let the Canucks in, but the way they put the hammer down and left little doubt in the end is the mark of a good team.
-Good night for David Kampf. Maybe he was the player who needed the reset just as much as DeBrusk! That’s sarcasm, for those who are new here.
What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below!
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As the calendar flips to a new year, Vancouver Canucks prospect Riley Patterson is closing out 2025 with an impressive individual accolade. The Ontario Hockey League announced its December award winners on New Year’s Day, with Patterson being named Player of the Month after a dominant stretch for the Niagara IceDogs.
The Patty Party rolled all month long
Riley Patterson was a difference maker in December, stacking up 19 points (9-10-19) across 11 games for the @OHLIceDogs. He sits tied for fifth in #OHL scoring with 45 points (21-24-45).
DETAILS: https://t.co/pv0DFZeNkj@Canucks |… pic.twitter.com/sIjFZWcUMJ
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 1, 2026
Patterson led all OHL skaters in scoring during the month, piling up 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) across 11 games. His December featured seven multi-point performances, including three separate three-point outings and two overtime-winning goals. He was also shooting at will, firing a league-leading 56 shots over that span.
The strong month has vaulted the 19-year-old into the league’s top five in scoring. Through 33 games this season, he is on pace to shatter his career high (62) with 45 points (21 goals, 24 assists), putting him on a 90-point pace. Despite serving as a prominent fixture on Niagara’s power play — often quarterbacking from the blueline — just eight of those points have come with the man advantage. Much of his production has come at even strength, where he has shown the ability to score off the rush, release quickly from the slot, or finish in tight around the net.
Selected by Vancouver in the fourth round (125th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, Patterson signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Canucks on September 21, 2025, before being returned to the OHL for continued development.
Acquired by Niagara in an offseason trade, Patterson has benefited from full-time usage down the middle this year. He has held his own in the faceoff circle as well, posting a 50.6 percent win rate while handling significant minutes in all situations.
Now in his third OHL season, Patterson is positioning himself as a legitimate candidate to turn pro once his season concludes. Although joining the NCAA has become a new avenue for Canadian Hockey League players, a spot on the Abbotsford Canucks for the 2026–27 season remains a realistic next step if his trajectory continues.
Also included among the league’s award recipients was Caleb Malhotra, the son of Manny Malhotra. The 2026 draft-eligible forward was named the Rookie of the Month after he produced 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in just 10 games. He now sits tied for second in OHL scoring with 48 points.
Malhotra has quietly emerged as an intriguing name for Canucks fans to monitor closely. With Vancouver holding two first-round selections in the 2026 NHL Draft — and the potential to add more — his continued progression will be well worth tracking as draft season approaches.
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These are not the best of times for Brock Boeser. That pretty much goes without saying. His Vancouver Canucks are wallowing near the bottom of the National Hockey League standings. His good friend and long-time teammate Quinn Hughes was recently dealt away. And, on top of that, Boeser is mired in one of the worst scoring slumps of his career.
Other than that, though, everything is great.
A 40-goal scorer just two seasons ago, Boeser has now gone 14 games without a goal. But the struggles go much deeper than that. The veteran winger has just one assist in that time and has gone nine games now without a point. He hasn’t picked up a power play point since a 6-2 win in Tampa Bay on November 16th.
“It’s been tough – my confidence has been pretty low,” Boeser admitted after a New Year’s Day practice at Rogers Arena. “We talk about these slumps and the only way out of it is hard work and trusting the process.”
To that end, Boeser was one of the first skaters on the ice on Thursday morning, putting in 20 minutes of skills work prior to practice with Jake DeBrusk, Aatu Räty and P-O Joseph. It’s not rare to see players on the ice ahead of practice, but it’s usually young guys who see limited ice time and are seeking more puck touches.
In this case, though, Boeser knows he needs to do whatever is necessary to regain his scoring touch.
“I feel like I’ve still had a lot of chances, I just haven’t put the puck in the net,” he says of a drought that stretches back to November 28th in San Jose – his lone goal in the past 21 games. “That’s on me. I have to find ways to bear down and find a way to put the puck in the net. It’s definitely been hard to stay positive, but it comes down to the work. And I think when you put the work in, you’ll get bounces.”
Brock Boeser rips one home from the slot to open the scoring in San Jose.
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) November 28, 2025
At practice on Thursday, Boeser skated on a line with Evander Kane and Max Sasson. His most frequent centres this season at 5-on-5 have been David Kämpf (114:31), followed by Elias Pettersson (98:10) and Lukas Reichel (94:48).
Boeser admitted that a lingering midsection issue before Christmas had hampered his play and forced him to miss a couple of practices to conserve his energy for games. But the 28-year-old says that with the brief holiday break to rest, he’s feeling better and says that is no longer a problem.
What is a problem is Boeser’s shot volume. A goal-scorer throughout his career, the Burnsville, MN, native has always been a high-volume shooter. But he failed to register a single shot on goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in his last outing on Tuesday night. He has just five shots over his last five games. And over his 14-game drought, he’s managed just 23 pucks on net.
He knows that’s not enough.
“Yeah, for sure,” he said. “When I score goals, I have a high volume of shots. I know I did look at that. Not enough shots lately and there have been times where in the past few games I could have put the puck at the net and I passed instead. I think I have to have a more shooting mentality and it definitely starts with the volume of shots.”
As recently as November 3rd against the Nashville Predators, Boeser scored twice, including the overtime winner and had six shots on net. That capped a six-goal in 12 games start to the season. Boeser added two more goals in the four games that followed, and with eight goals through 16 games, was on a 40-goal pace. And since then, his offence has essentially fallen off a cliff.
Boeser watched as another veteran winger, Jake DeBrusk, sat out earlier this week as a healthy scratch in Seattle. It was clearly a message from the coaching staff to DeBrusk individually, but Boeser knows there was greater meaning in the message, too.
“It’s a message that you can’t be complacent, it doesn’t matter who you are, you have to bring it every night,” he said. “We have a lot of young guys and we’re trying to build something here. You have to show up each and every night, ready to work and ready to commit to the style of play that we want to play.”
Whether Boeser is in line for the healthy scratch treatment remains to be seen, although injuries to top six forwards Conor Garland and Marco Rossi likely spare him the indignity of a night in the press box for now. But head coach Adam Foote was pleased to see Boeser putting in work before practice, trying to fight his way out of the funk he’s in.
“He wants to score goals,” Foote said. “Shooters go shoot and they do the work and he wants to get more reps. It’s a discussion we’ve had a group and he’s on board. He missed some practices with the injury and it’s just reps, reps, reps.”
Boeser’s next chance to bump his slump comes Friday at home against the Seattle Kraken. He’s hoping he’s left his scoring struggles behind and that flipping the calendar to a new year will get his season going in a new direction.
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The “Thirst for First” continued on Friday night in Vancouver, as the hometown Canucks fell 4-3 in a shootout loss to the visiting Seattle Kraken. Team tank’s job? Completed, for the most part.
Team entertainment’s job? I’m pretty sure that corpse has been floating down the Fraser River for a couple of months now. Occasionally, ducks swim near it before flying away, and I don’t know if that’s the beautiful cycle of life or just sort of sad.
The point is, the results for Vancouver continue them on the path toward a high draft pick. The only way it could be better would be if their road and home results were swapped, because even though losing is for “the greater good,” I am starting to feel worse and worse for people in attendance for these games. I can just imagine someone bringing a family member to the game for the very first time, while you patiently explain that no, this was good that they lost, and yes, shots from the point into traffic ARE considered the pinnacle of excitement in some countries.
With Conor Garland and Marco Rossi joining the walking wounded, Vancouver continued to look much as it has for much of this season, like a late-90s website. And as has often been the case this season, the effort was there, but the results of a victory just slipped out of their grasp despite a spirited comeback in the second half of the game.
Sometimes we talk a lot in the intro because something big happened in the game, or something thematically relevant went down, but on this night, it was about as plug-and-play as they come. Canucks went down early, worked hard on the forecheck to grind out some goals to tie it up, before losing in the shootout because the Canucks are cowards and refuse to listen to my idea of using closers in hockey. But I digress.
With the Boston Bruins in town tomorrow, the turnaround will be quick, so let’s sign off on this game and get you back to your regularly scheduled programs, i.e. doom scrolling on your phone so you don’t have to be alone with your thoughts.
The big news before the game was Linus Karlsson signing a new contract that brought with it some security and a little bit of that life-changing money. I also assume I’m going to win on my lotto tickets. Statistically, “1,2,3,4,5” has to win one day, and I’ll be ready.
And, much like the Max Sasson re-signing, on a human-interest level, you absolutely love to see this. Both players worked their way through the system despite many people doubting their ability to land in the NHL. Both players helped the farm team win the Calder Cup and will one day receive a ring to celebrate it in 2031.
And both players have earned it, quite frankly. In a world in which hard work doesn’t often lead to the results you’d wish for, it’s nice to see an old-fashioned victory like this for sports humanity.
But as Drance says, if you want to look at how the hot dog is made, I do agree there are definitely things to question from the Canucks’ point of view on it. Don’t get me wrong, end of the day this cap hit will most likely mean nothing to the team in the near future, but from a process point of view, you can’t help but remember the days of Benning overpaying for bottom six talent and plugging up the salary cap where it wasn’t needed, and wonder if this current regime can avoid the same mistakes.
Overall, though, my takeaway is that this is a great day for Linus Karlsson and well earned on his end.
The first period was like any good Jason Statham movie: a hardworking man trying to live a normal life, until circumstances brought him back into a past life of violence and destruction by the time the third period rolled around. And by violence, I just mean working hard, cycling the puck in the offensive zone, but that doesn’t really sell on the movie poster.
On a side note, we really need a new action movie surrounding hockey because I feel like the world is ready for another mascot trying to murder someone in a meat slicer.
For what it’s worth, the Canucks probably deserved to win this game, as they carried most of the play on the night. And if ever there was a night one of their struggling wingers was going to break through, it was going to be in a contest like this.
The first period saw the Canucks jump out with purpose, as Brock Boeser had the nicest pass of the opening frame with this nice setup across the ice to number two centre Max Sasson:
One part of Sasson’s game I like is how he wheels through the middle to give his teammates a target to pass to. A lot of times, the Canucks can get stuck in the mud, and they stop moving their feet, so they don’t often generate these scoring chances where a guy is coming through the slot with speed. At the end of Quinn Hughes’ reign in Vancouver, it just felt like watching him skate around while everyone stood still watching, which is part of what made for some of the more tedious hockey you’ll watch this season.
And in what has become a staple of the Canucks games as of late, Five of Five Maestro Drew O’Connor got into the mix early, as his low shot for a rebound ended up giving Kiefer Sherwood a good look at Joey Daccord:
Jokes aside, Drew O’Connor is legitimately one of the most consistent Canucks at five-on-five hockey this season, which is both surprising and a touch alarming if we’re being honest. Clearly, we’re all happy for him, but you have to think others can step up to the plate a bit? Brock Boeser’s struggles continued in that regard as he had his third game in a row at the bottom of the expected goals percentage at five-on-five for the Canucks, while DOC, along with linemates Kiefer Sherwood and David Kämpf, led the team in that category.
Speaking of trying to make their impact, Nils Höglander also got a good look on net early, coming in off of the wing and trying to go short side on Joey OK:
Which was followed up by Zeev Buium doing a good job of shielding Jacob Melanson off of the puck before turning the play the other way and getting the puck up to Liam Öhgren:
I assume Aatu Räty shot the puck there out of fear of being healthy scratched again, as he wanted Joey OK to cover the puck to give him a faceoff he could win to prove his worth.
Even on my best days when I was younger and working at Blockbuster Video, did I ever have this much composure with a customer barreling down on me demanding to know if someone had returned a copy of What Women Want yet?:
Matty Beniers is a skilled player, too; it’s not like Demko was out here trying to casually flip the puck over the stick of Steve Bernier. Yet there he is, walking out of his net with the aura of Tony Soprano picking up his newspaper at the bottom of his driveway. It’s incredible.
I still prefer the Dom Hasek method of taking them out at their knees, but this is a solid second option.
12 mins in and we're outshooting them 9-4.
So…. we don't win the games we outshoot the opponent, right?#Canucks
— Dragon Was Slayed (@522IntoOvertime) January 3, 2026
The Canucks had sixteen shot attempts midway through the first period and had all the momentum, including Elias Pettersson’s lone shot on net in the entire game:
With Garland out, someone needs to pull off the sneaky pick-six puck intercepts, and while I have full faith in EP40’s ability to do so, I find myself once again asking him to get five shots on net in a single game.
I’m not even being greedy and asking for double digits. I’m not out here telling him to get thirteen shots. Just get five. Five whole shots on net. Please.
As for Thatcher Demko, he stopped 25 of 28 shots on the night, and it wasn’t a particularly hard night being asked of him. Vancouver had fourteen high-danger attempts compared to Seattle’s paltry five, but that didn’t mean Thatcher didn’t have a handful of banger moments.
One of his best stops was on Jamie Oleksiak of all people, as he made a tremendous right-to-left save to stone the tall Kraken defender before the puck bounced off of PO Joseph’s skate and out of trouble:
And Demko made sure to save a lil’ something something for Jared McCaan on the power play, falling backwards on the puck after the initial shot in the slot, giving the former Canuck just enough hope that he might have scored:
As you can see from the highlights, the Canucks pretty much led the way in the first period, which is why it was obvious Seattle would score first, because sports are dumb and rarely make sense.
Before we get to the Seattle goal, I do want to point out how close Zeev Buium came to being sent to the netherworld were it not for Adam Larsson pulling up on this hit:
Buium is lucky this isn’t the 1990s, as Scott Stevens would have possibly ended his career for daring to circle behind the net with his head down. Hell, Raffi Torres was probably sitting at home jumping up and making hissing noises at the TV at the opportunity Zeev was handing out there. Zeev is lucky Adam was nice on that hit and didn’t bring the beer-league energy of a divorced dad “going through some things,” you see in Surrey rinks. “Seriously, he’s a really nice guy off the ice, I swear.”
Zeev’s shift continued after that hit, however, and he ended up being stuck in the Canucks zone, earning the dreaded Sportsnet “two minutes or longer” shift length bug, before Cale Fleury scored his first NHL goal since the Brian Mulroney administration:
Not much to break down on it, either. Cale see puck, Cale slap puck, Cale score puck. With a perfectly placed shot to go along with Tom Willander grinding up on Demko like it’s a Friday night at the Penthouse, it’s no surprise Seattle made it 1-0.
Debrusk used to bury those without a problem, you know it's a huge confidence issue when you're looking to pass in a prime scoring position
— Ricky
To be fair, this might have been a shot or a pass, but the point remains that December Jake was still in DeBrusk’s system early on. And not to harp on Boeser, but when you see two struggling wingers in Jake and Brock, I think the healthy scratch motivated Jake to the point where DeBrusk has been the better of the two in the last several games. I know DeBrusk’s game rounding into form lends itself to being more highlight worthy (he can generate some nice rushes to the net) compared to a Brock Boeser heater in which he’s getting shots on net, but we’re still waiting for Brock to even get to that point in a game.
To be fair, Drew O’Connor is the most lethal guy on the team for Vancouver right now, so I understand trying to feed him the puck:
Things to note on this shorthanded play from Vancouver:
- You can almost see the exact moment Drew O’Connor realizes Ryker Evans is going to pass without looking along the blueline. The second Ryker puts his head down and spins into the pass, Drew jumps the lane and makes the perfect intercept. Incredibly played from DOC.
- You cannot find a more awkward 2-on-0 than one in which both skaters have their shooting side in the middle of the ice. This was first date at the movies levels of clumsiness as both guys fumbled along with the puck.
- Give credit to Shane Wright’s hard back check, as even with the awkward offensive rush from Vancouver, if he doesn’t get his stick in the passing lane at the end, DOC might have had a tap-in.
After another rush attempt on the same shift from Sherwood and O’Connor, Seattle would eventually score on the power play off of the counter counter attack, with Jordan Eberle finding Chandler Stephenson for the one timer near the faceoff circle:
This is a case of DOC and Sherwood getting a little too big for their britches, as they had nothing left in the tank after the second attempt at rushing down the ice. Drew can barely make it back into the play before Seattle scores to make it 2-0.
Greedy little buff boys, greedy!
Perhaps feeling the shame of blowing out their gas tank shorthanded, Kiefer Sherwood would respond quickly with a goal of his own, after converting a rebound of a Jake DeBrusk shot:
That’s a good zone entry from Brock Boeser with Sherwood, and much like Max Sasson in the first period, it’s Kiefer moving his legs that lets him float into some empty space to jump all over the Jake DeBrusk rebound. And kudos to Jake as well, he skated hard into the slot to get a shot on net, and that’s what the Canucks need from him. No one loves his blue paint game more than me, but Jake needs to be effective all over the ice, and skating with purpose is one of the major ways he can do that.
This goal was then followed up by the play of the year, however, as David Kämpf would come waltzing in, undressing two Kraken defenders, before kicking the puck off his skate to his forehand a la Pavel Bure, and going bar down with perhaps the hardest wrist shot I have seen this year:
No, but that would have been pretty cool though, right?
Ben Meyers would then promptly restore the two-goal lead for Seattle when he would crash the crease and tap in the pass from Ryan Winterton, which my mind wanted to type as “Featherbottom,” and I don’t have any idea why:
That’s pretty much how 75% of the goals are scored in any NHL video game ever right there. Cross-crease one-timers rule the day.
I agree with both Lachlan and Daniel in that Max Sasson’s lack of strength is going to be a hindrance to his NHL long-term centre aspirations if he can’t outmuscle other NHL centres, and that Evander Kane just sort of floating away at one point probably created a bit of confusion on the play?
“Dad left to get milk” is a bold defensive strategy to use in the NHL, that’s all I’m saying.
Folks, may I introduce January Jake?
Setting up shop on Ryan Featherbottom, the man who just helped score against Vancouver, to tap in his own cross crease one timer felt poetic.
And yes, that is one much-maligned Brock Boeser feeding the pass in the general area of Jake, knowing that scoring in Tim Horton’s is one of his favourite things to do. In fact, the puck sort of pinballs around Jake’s skates and Joey OK’s pads, before bouncing in.
It’s the exact type of goal January Jake scores, to be honest. Not December Jake, though. December Jake is the worst person I know.
Did you hear December Jake stands on the left side of the escalator and refuses to move?
I honestly have a dream of an entire line being traded at the deadline, just for the pure dramatics of it all. The NHL could use some batsh!t crazy things like that happening; it truly could.
And hey, this line would be extremely affordable for a deep team looking to bolster its bottom line.
If you think I’m joking, I want to be clear that this line showed the most offensive creativity of any line on the night. At one point, Kämpf was trying between-the-legs no-look passes to Sherwood:
Moving the puck around at will, finding good looks on net, this line was downright dynamic!*
*Dynamic for a game between Vancouver and Seattle.
Feeling good about life, January Jake decides to get his third point of the night, as he pulls up quick on a zone entry to find Fil Hronek for the point shot, which Linus Karlsson is all too happy to clean up:
I know Linus has been on a bit of a hot streak, and the Canucks are hoping this is the real final form on him, so while we wait to see where the truth lies, I am just going to enjoy the ride. I have always liked Karlsson’s game, as he has shown a real NHL finish around the net, which is always a commodity in a league that tightens up and clamps down come playoff time.
And the rest of the third period, honestly, was two teams working hard, trying not to get scored on. I don’t have any highlights to show because it was a bunch of chip-and-chase hockey with effective line changes. And I don’t think anyone has ever yelled, “honey, take a look at this effective line change Wyatt just showed a clip of”, so let’s just jump into overtime.
Elias Pettersson was both interfered with and also sold it like he was in the main event of Wrestlemania:
The one thing I can agree with is that “soft interference” occurs all game long, and the officials only seem to call it when they’re bored or when it impacts the game to the point a team gets a scoring chance out of it.
And here, yeah, Elias Pettersson is taken out of the play. Even if he doesn’t fall to the ice doing a full 360, falling just short of leaving a pee trail on the ice to really sell it, he is impeded from making a play on Vince Dunn. So I kind of get Elias going out of his way to make sure the official knows he wasn’t able to make a play due to it.
Which meant the Canucks got a power play, and they had two really close chances to win it.
The first was Fil Hronek having two good looks on the net, and oh my god, I am going to scream about the second look after you watch the clip:
Look, I get the theory of walking in, faking the shot, and dragging the puck so you can freeze a defender in a shot-blocking animation, giving you a shooting lane.
But sometimes you just have to walk into a puck and launch a piss missile.
You want to block this shot? Sounds good, eat rubber. See how badly they want to win. Lean into that son of a bitch. There is a universe where Fil Hronek walked into that puck and launched a nuclear bomb of a shot, and I wish that was our universe right now.
The other good chance was Elias Pettersson trying to feed January Jake in front of the net:
That’s about as close as you can come to scoring without hearing the goal horn go off, as Vancouver can at least rest easy knowing their power play was working well on the night.
Vancouver ended with the right result; however, when Matty Beniers enjoyed life for a brief moment where he didn’t have to worry that Tyler Myers was going to murder him:
That was the lone goal of the shootout, giving the Kraken the two points on the night.
Would Kevin Lankinen have stopped that?
Would it have been badass if Kickstart Your Heart had played over the loudspeakers, announcing Kevin coming into the game as the closer? Damn skippy.
Does it make sense to bring in a goalie cold like that for the shootout? Of course not.
Does that stop me from dreaming of said scenario? Of course not.
The actual tragedy in this game came when the Vancouver DJ played “Hello” by Adele before a Kraken took a penalty shot. Not to get too worked up, but these games lack excitement as it is, so when they finally get to a breakaway contest, your instincts were “you know what would really get this crowd amped up about a big save? Making you think about a relationship that fell apart that you’re not really over, but you love them so much you hope they’re doing well now.”
When in doubt, hit the Darude – Sandstorm button. It’s very easy.
Next game is Boston on Saturday night; go to bed.
Look, Quinn Hughes is going to post a 100+ point season next year, just accept it at this point.
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(@rheneriella) 
(@CanucksIn4) 
