For the Vancouver Canucks it was another night where the same hard lessons were learned. The team didn’t quit on Sunday night. They pushed. They scrapped. They even made it interesting late. But moral victories don’t move the standings, and a 3–2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins only deepened a season that keeps slipping away.
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Pittsburgh built a 3–0 lead behind rookie Ben Kindel and veteran poise, then survived a late Canucks surge powered by Jake DeBrusk and Teddy Blueger. It was Vancouver hockey in the 2025-26 season. The team has too many things going wrong early, not quite enough going right late.
3 Positives for the Canucks Against the Penguins
Here are three positives from Friday night’s game against the Penguins.
Positive #1: The Canucks’ Pushback Showed Up Again
Down 3–0, the Canucks didn’t fold. DeBrusk got them on the board after a strong net-front sequence, and Blueger made it a one-goal game with six minutes left. For a team that’s worn a lot of early deficits this year, the response mattered—even if it came too late.
(Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)
The final minutes felt frantic, honest, and engaged. That’s something, especially for a group sitting 1-11-2 in its last 14 games. The team doesn’t wilt; it just doesn’t seem to have enough horses to pull the wagon over the finish line.
Positive #2: Teddy Blueger’s Return Matters for Vancouver
Blueger continues to be one of the few stabilizing forces in this lineup. Two goals in three games since returning from injury, strong defensive reads, and a willingness to go to the hard areas. He shows up and provides veteran leadership.
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His disallowed goal in the first period could’ve changed the game’s tone entirely. Instead, it became another “what if” moment—but his impact was real. He’s become a valuable veteran in the lineup.
Positive #3: The Canucks Late-Game Compete Was Legit
Penguins’ new goalie Stuart Skinner had to make a highlight-reel save on Brock Boeser with under a minute left. That doesn’t happen unless the Canucks are actually pushing. But push didn’t quite get the team over the line, which continues to be a storyline for this beleaguered team.
The problem isn’t effort in moments. It’s sustaining the same positive level of effort for an entire 60-minute game. Still, that final stretch showed there’s something worth salvaging. Despite the frustration, the team keeps pushing.
3 Canucks Negatives Against the Penguins
Here are three negatives from Friday night’s game against the Penguins.
Negative #1: The Canucks Had Another Brutal Start
This game followed a familiar script: decent early energy, one or two mistakes, and suddenly the puck is behind you. Once Pittsburgh scored, the ice tilted quickly.
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Good teams punish errors, and the Canucks keep giving games away. You can’t chase games forever—not in this league, not with this roster. This is a team with heart, but not quite the finish it needs.
Negative #2: The Canucks Generated Too Little Offence, Too Late
The Canucks didn’t score until the third period. Again. That’s become a theme, not a fluke. When your forwards are gripping their sticks tighter, passing up shots, or waiting for perfect looks, the margin disappears. Pittsburgh didn’t need many chances because its execution was cleaner.
Negative #3: The Canucks’ Place in the Standings Don’t Lie
At 17-30-5, the Canucks are running out of explanations. The pushback was encouraging, but encouragement doesn’t erase another regulation loss.
Other teams around them aren’t slowing down. Vancouver is. This is one of those seasons where the team is floundering. In the long term and given the rebuild, that’s not such a bad thing. In the short term, it has to be beyond frustrating for the players.
What’s Next for the Canucks?
This wasn’t another Canucks’ collapse. In some ways, it was something worse. It was a competitive loss that counts the same. The Canucks showed pride, but pride alone won’t pull them out of this level of poor play.
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Still, the Canucks’ roster is young and has potential. The franchise will survive the season, but it isn’t fun while it’s happening.
