Hughes Shines Despite Canucks’ Losing Streak
By Andrew Phillip Chernoff and Zachary Oliver Burnham | CanucksBanter
November 23, 2025
The Vancouver Canucks endured a challenging but high-event week, going 0-3-0 and struggling to find consistency as they wrapped up a road trip and returned home. The primary narrative centered on offense and a depleted goaltending corps.
The week kicked off in dramatic fashion with a high-flying, 8-5 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday, November 17th. Despite mounting a rally powered by star defenseman Quinn Hughes, who dominated the scoresheet with 3 assists, the goaltending situation—with Jiri Patera making a tough spot start—could not hold back the two-time defending champions.
Returning home for a single game against a strong Western Conference opponent, the Canucks were shut down in a 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday, November 20th.
While the results were disappointing, the playmaking of Hughes and the clutch scoring of players like Elias Pettersson and Evander Kane provided offensive fireworks, signaling that the team’s attack remains potent.
The challenge remains converting that star-level production into sustainable team wins while navigating injuries in net and elsewhere in key positions on the team.
Game Results
Monday, November 17: Canucks 5, Panthers 8
Quinn Hughes broke a franchise record for the most assists in a three-game span with his three assists in this game.
Elias Pettersson scored two goals in the high-event affair. The Canucks’ offense was strong, but the defense struggled immensely, allowing eight goals.
Thursday, November 20: Canucks 2, Stars 4
The Canucks outshot the Stars 36-24, showing a solid effort in generating opportunities.
Elias Pettersson continued his hot streak, extending his point streak to five games with a power-play goal in the third period.
The team fought hard and felt they “deserved a better fate,” only trailing by one goal late in the third period.
Sunday, November 23: Canucks 2, Flames 5
The victory gave the Flames their third straight win and a much-needed boost in the Pacific Division standings. Goaltender Dustin Wolf was solid in net, stopping 28 of 30 shots.
This was a major point of frustration for Vancouver. After trailing 2-1 heading into the second, the Canucks failed to generate offense and allowed the Flames to score two more goals, extending the lead to 4-1 before the final frame.
Kevin Lankinen took the loss, stopping 16 of 21 shots faced. With Thatcher Demko still sidelined due to injury, the goaltending depth continues to be a major vulnerability for Vancouver.
Quinn Hughes scored the final goal on the power play after a solo dash up the ice, showcasing his individual brilliance. He also played a massive 30:05 of ice time.
Filip Hronek scored the opening goal just over a minute into the first period on a rush, giving the Canucks a brief early lead.
The loss further highlighted the Canucks’ struggles at home this season, dropping their record at Rogers Arena to 3-7-1.
Injury Update
| Player | Status | Injury / Update | Expected RT |
| Filip Hronek | Day-to-Day | Illness (Absent from practice Nov 22). | Nov 23, 2025 (Questionable) |
| Filip Chytil | Out (IR) | Upper Body (Resumed skating). | Nov 23, 2025 (Possible) |
| Thatcher Demko | Out (IR) | Lower Body (Week-to-week). | Nov 28, 2025 |
| Teddy Blueger | Out (IR) | Lower Body (Suffered a setback in recovery). | Nov 29, 2025 |
| Jett Woo | Out (IR-NR) | Upper Body. | Nov 29, 2025 |
| Derek Forbort | Out (LTIR) | Undisclosed. | Dec 2, 2025 |
| Nils Hoglander | Out (LTIR) | Lower Body. | Dec 14, 2025 |
| Guillaume Brisebois | Out (IR-NR) | Lower Body. | Nov 23, 2025 (Possible) |
Roster Moves/Speculation
David Kämpf Plays First Games
General Manager Patrik Allvin announced on November 15 that the Canucks had signed unrestricted free agent center David Kämpf to a one-year, $1.1 million contract.
- Kämpf, recently released by Toronto Maple Leafs, was brought in specifically to address Vancouver’s weaknesses down the middle, particularly on faceoffs and penalty killing.
- Allvin emphasized that Kämpf’s hockey IQ and two-way reliability would provide immediate help to areas of need
Roster Moves
- Nov 17, 2025: D V. Mancini sent to Abbotsford-AHL.
Roster Speculation
- Lukas Reichel Trade Speculation: The Canucks are reportedly looking to move forward Lukas Reichel barely a month after acquiring him. He has struggled with only one point in 13 games and was a healthy scratch in the loss to Dallas. The short-lived experiment at second-line center appears to be over, likely due to underperformance and the impending return of other injured forwards.
- Search for Second-Line Center: The ongoing need for a reliable second-line center remains a hot topic, with the Reichel experiment failing.
- Quinn Hughes Future: While purely speculative, there’s always noise around the core players during periods of team struggles. Hughes’ name has surfaced in general “Canucks News & Rumours” discussions.
Canucks Statistical Snapshot (As of November 24th 2025, 8 am)
Key Concern: The Penalty Kill is a critical weakness, ranking dead last in the league. The high number of goals against is also a major concern.
| Pacific Div. | Western Conf. | NHL | Notes | ||
| Record | 9-12-2 | ||||
| PTS | 20 | 7th | 14th | T-28th | Rank by total points |
| P% | .435 | 7th | 14th | 29th | Rank for overall record |
| Goals +/- | -15 | 8th (Last) | 15th | 30th | |
| GF/G | 3.09 | 5th | 9th | T-17th | |
| GA/G | 3.74 | 8th (Last) | 15th | 31st | Second-worst in the NHL |
| Power Play % | 23.4% | 3rd | 6th | 11th | A strong special teams unit |
| Penalty Kill % | 69.7% | 8th (Last) | 16th (Last) | 32nd (Last) | League-worst performance |
| SF/G | 27.6 | 7th | 12th | 25th | Low shot volume |
| SA/G | 31.0 | 2nd | 6th | 6th | Allowing high shot volume |
Players Stats Totals For Week of November 17-23, 2025
| Category | Player | Stat for the Week | Game Breakdown |
| Points (P) | Quinn Hughes (D) | 5 Pts (1 G, 4 A) | 3 A (Nov 17), 1 G (Nov 23) |
| Evander Kane (LW) | 4 Pts (1 G, 3 A) | 1 G, 3 A (Nov 17) | |
| Elias Pettersson (C) | 3 Pts (1 G, 2 A) | 1 G, 2 A (Nov 20) | |
| Filip Hronek (D) | 2 Pts (1 G, 1 A) | 1 G (Nov 23), 1 A (Nov 17) | |
| Goals (G) | Quinn Hughes (D) | 1 Goal | Power Play Goal (Nov 23) |
| Filip Hronek (D) | 1 Goal | Even Strength Goal (Nov 23) | |
| Elias Pettersson (C) | 1 Goal | Power Play Goal (Nov 20) | |
| Evander Kane (LW) | 1 Goal | Power Play Goal (Nov 17) | |
| Jake DeBrusk (LW) | 1 Goal | Even Strength Goal (Nov 20) | |
| Drew O’Connor (LW) | 1 Goal | Even Strength Goal (Nov 17) | |
| Kiefer Sherwood (LW) | 1 Goal | Even Strength Goal (Nov 17) | |
| Assists (A) | Quinn Hughes (D) | 4 Assists | 3 A (Nov 17) |
| Evander Kane (LW) | 3 Assists | 3 A (Nov 17) | |
| Elias Pettersson (C) | 2 Assists | 1 A (Nov 17), 1 A (Nov 20) | |
| Plus/Minus (+/-) | Filip Hronek (D) | +1 | |
| Drew O’Connor (LW) | +1 |
Week Highlights & Impact
- Quinn Hughes continues to be the dominant force, leading the team in points with 5. His goal on Sunday against the Flames (a coast-to-coast rush) was a rare highlight.
- Filip Hronek was the only other player besides Hughes to record a point in the final game of the week, adding a goal and also finishing the week with a team-leading +1 plus/minus rating (tied with Drew O’Connor).
- The scoring was very balanced in terms of goals, with seven different players scoring one goal each over the three games. No player had more than one goal.
Goaltender Records (November 17–23, 2025)
| Goalie | Date | Team | Result | GA | SA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patera | Nov 17 | @ Florida | L (5-8) | 8 | 36 | .778 |
| Lankinen | Nov 20 | vs. Dallas | L (2-4) | 4 | 30 | .867 |
| Lankinen | Nov 23 | vs. Calgary | L (2-5) | 5 | 29 | .828 |
Week Summary
- Kevin Lankinen played two of the three games, finishing with a .847 save percentage for the week, notably allowing 5 goals in the loss to the Flames.
- Jiri Patera had the difficult task of starting against the high-powered Panthers offense in his season debut, contributing to the poor weekly combined metrics.
- The team allowed a total of 17 goals in three games, reflecting a very difficult stretch for the defensive and goaltending unit.
Pacific Division Standings (as of November 23, 8 am)
The Canucks are 9-11-2, placing them 7th in the Pacific Division and 14th in the Western Conference.
2025-26 NHL PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
| RK | Team | GP | W | L | OT/SOTL | Pts | Diff |
| 1 | Ducks | 22 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 29 | +11 |
| 2 | Kraken | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 28 | -2 |
| 3 | Vegas | 21 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 27 | +7 |
| 4 | LA | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 26 | -3 |
| 5 | SJ | 23 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 25 | -4 |
| 6 | Oilers | 24 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 25 | -13 |
| 7 | Canucks | 23 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 20 | -15 |
| 8 | Flames | 24 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 19 | -14 |
My Week’s Highest Value Canucks Performers
Quinn Hughes (D): Recorded three assists in the November 17th game against Florida, extending a major point streak and setting a franchise record for the most assists in any three-game stretch. His offensive output as a defenseman provides significant value.
Elias Pettersson (C/W): Scored two goals in the high-scoring November 17th loss to Florida and netted a power-play goal on November 20th against Dallas. He is consistently producing offense, accumulating nine points (4 goals, 8 assists) in his last five games in November.
Evander Kane: Notched two assists in the November 17th game and had a primary assist on the game-tying goal, continuing his strong November.
Jake DeBrusk: Scored a goal on November 17th, with one report noting he had five points (4 goals, 1 assist) in his last six games as of November 23rd, showing solid goal-scoring consistency.
Filip Hronek: Scored a power-play goal on November 17th, demonstrating offensive capability from the blueline.
Kevin Lankinen (G): Delivered a crucial high-performance win (Nov 16th, .933 SV%) amidst the team’s defensive struggles.
- The overall defensive play for the team has been noted as challenging during November, with reports suggesting his Advanced Stats (Goals Saved Above Expected) were better than his basic save percentage suggests, meaning he was valuable in managing a high volume of dangerous scoring chances against.
2026 NHL Playoffs Chances
The team’s current record and poor 3-6-2 record in November, compounded by significant injuries and the league-worst penalty kill, puts their current playoff chances in serious jeopardy and which is the main reason they have fallen out of Wild Card contention. Improvement and health will be critical to climb back into a Wild Card spot.
2025-26 NHL Western Conference Wild Card Standings (as of November 24, 2025 @ 8 am)
| Team | Div | GP | PTS | ROW | GF | GD |
| Colorado | Central (1st) | 22 | 37 | 16 | 88 | +38 |
| Dallas | Central (2nd) | 22 | 30 | 11 | 72 | +10 |
| Anaheim | Pacific (1st) | 22 | 29 | 13 | 80 | +11 |
| Seattle | Pacific (2nd) | 22 | 28 | 11 | 57 | -2 |
| Wild | Central (3rd) | 23 | 28 | 10 | 68 | +4 |
| Vegas | Pacific (3rd) | 21 | 27 | 10 | 67 | +7 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| LA | Pacific | 22 | 26 | 9 | 60 | -3 |
| Utah | Central | 22 | 25 | 11 | 66 | -1 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SJ | Pacific | 23 | 25 | 10 | 68 | -4 |
| Oilers | Pacific | 24 | 25 | 10 | 74 | -13 |
| Calgary | Pacific | 24 | 25 | 9 | 67 | -14 |
| Jets | Central | 21 | 24 | 11 | 67 | +8 |
| Chicago | Central | 22 | 24 | 10 | 69 | +7 |
| Blues | Central | 22 | 21 | 7 | 59 | -23 |
| Canucks | Pacific | 23 | 20 | 9 | 63 | -17 |
| Nashville | Central | 21 | 16 | 6 | 49 | -24 |
What’s Up?
This three-game, four-day stretch presents a great opportunity, especially as the last two games are a challenging back-to-back.
- Gain Divisional Ground: All three opponents are Pacific Division rivals. These are crucial “four-point” games where winning not only gives the Canucks two points but also denies two points to a divisional opponent.
- The Back-to-Back Challenge: Playing in San Jose at 1:00 PM on Friday and then immediately traveling to face the Kings in Los Angeles on Saturday night will be a significant test of the team’s depth and conditioning. Goaltending management will be key for the Canucks’ coaching staff.
- Consistency is Needed: The Canucks have struggled for consistency lately, dropping five of their last six games as of today (November 23rd). A strong road performance against these teams could be a turning point for their season.
- Star Performance: Players like Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson will need to continue their high level of play to power the offense, especially in a road environment.
If the Canucks can sweep or take at least 5 of 6 possible points, they could significantly improve their playoff odds early in the season.
Canucks Keys for a Successful Week
- Massive PK Improvement: The 32nd-ranked penalty kill is hemorrhaging goals. The team must find a way to stay out of the box and be more effective when short-handed, especially with tough division rivals coming up.
- Goaltending Stability: With Thatcher Demko out, Jiri Patera and Kevin Lankinen need to deliver above-average performances to stop the bleeding of goals against (3.68 GA/G).
- Road Trip Success: The upcoming California road trip against the Ducks, Sharks, and Kings presents a chance to gain ground in the Pacific Division. Securing points in the three division games is paramount.
Games This Week
| Date | Opponent | Time (PST) | Location |
| Nov 26 | @ Anaheim Ducks | 7:00 PM | Honda Center (Road) |
| Nov 28 | @ San Jose Sharks | 1:00 PM | SAP Center (Road) |
| Nov 29 | @ Los Angeles Kings | 7:00 PM | Crypto.com Arena (Road) |
Until next time, hockey fans