The Vancouver Canucks came out swinging at Rogers Arena on Tuesday, but in the end, it was the Anaheim Ducks who walked away with a 5-3 victory. Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk each scored, and Elias Pettersson added a pair of assists, including his 500th career point. Kevin Lankinen made 29 saves, keeping Vancouver in the game longer than some might have expected. But Anaheim’s depth and timely scoring ultimately decided it.
It was one of those games that swung back and forth. Vancouver struck first when DeBrusk scored on the power play, Boeser tied it late in the second, and Drew O’Connor even brought the Canucks back to 3-3 early in the third. The effort was there, as it has been most nights. Still, for Vancouver, effort alone hasn’t been enough this season.
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Tuesday was another reminder of the gap between trying hard and finishing strong. In the end, the Ducks proved too much for a Canucks team that’s been scraping for consistency all season.
Item One: Kevin Lankinen Steady, But Defence Is a Work in Progress
Kevin Lankinen deserves credit. He made 29 saves, including several that should have earned highlight-reel attention, and kept the Canucks in the fight through some rough stretches. When Anaheim started testing him with quick passes and point shots, Lankinen was composed and controlled rebounds well, giving Vancouver a chance to battle back into the game.
The issue, as it has been for much of the season, was the team in front of him. Too many lapses in coverage, soft assignments, and turnovers left him scrambling at times. High-danger chances come far too easily. Pettersson summed it up well: “Maybe a little too easy, the goals we let in. We don’t help ‘Lanks’ enough.”
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It’s a simple point, but it keeps cropping up: no goalie can completely cover for defensive breakdowns, no matter how steady they are. Lankinen gave them a chance, but the Canucks need tighter coverage if they want those chances to turn into wins.
Even in a losing effort, gave fans a reason to cheer. His in just 533 games, making him the second-fastest player in Canucks history to reach that mark. The only player who beat him was Thomas Gradin. On top of that, Pettersson moved past J.T. Miller for the ninth-most power-play points in team history.
Pettersson’s production this season has been a bright spot. Even on a struggling team, he’s still generating offence, driving the play, and showing why Vancouver leans on him night after night. There’s been chatter about trades, and his recent uptick hints at a bit of a comeback. Maybe there’s hope against hope that he could get back to the complete game he showed a couple of seasons ago.
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He’s looking better, but he’s still a long way from that peak. The real question now is whether he can reach it again, and if the rest of the roster can rise to match him. Flashes of brilliance are one thing, but turning those moments into consistent wins is the challenge that Vancouver still faces.
Item Three: Filip Hronek Has Been a Steady Hand on the Power Play
Filip Hronek also deserves attention. The veteran defenceman picked up two power-play assists, fired five shots on goal, and kept Vancouver competitive in a game where every mistake seemed magnified. Hronek remains one of the few reliable sources of offence on this team. His ability to quarterback the man advantage is invaluable.
(Bob Frid-Imagn Images)
Over his last 10 games, Hronek has three goals and six assists, showing he’s still contributing even when the team around him struggles. He’s sitting at 41 points on the season with 109 shots, 114 hits, and 90 blocked shots in 70 games. Minus-8 doesn’t look great, but it doesn’t tell the full story. Hronek is steady, durable, and still one of the more consistent contributors in the lineup.
What’s Next for the Canucks?
Playoffs are out of reach, and Vancouver has now lost 13 of its last 16 games. But there’s still plenty of learning that can happen in the remaining contests. These games give younger players real minutes under pressure, allow veterans to log key ice time, and provide the coaching staff with data on line combinations and defensive setups for next season.
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The biggest takeaway? Defensive-zone execution needs work. Anaheim capitalized on small lapses, and if Vancouver doesn’t tighten up, late-game collapses will continue. The silver lining is experience. Younger players are learning under real conditions, Hronek is mentoring on the power play, and Pettersson is hitting milestones that keep morale alive.
It’s a season about patience, development, and finding flashes of skill to build around. Tuesday wasn’t a win in the standings that changes anything long-term, but it was a reminder that the Canucks still have talent and moments worth investing in. Growth, after all, often comes in pieces, not complete games.
