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Canucks Losers Of Five In Last Six (1-4-1)

By Andrew Phillip Chernoff | CanucksBanter

November 30, 2025

In a tightly contested defensive battle that featured multiple video reviews and disallowed goals, the Los Angeles Kings edged out the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 in overtime. The Canucks secured a point on the road but extended their recent struggles, having now lost five of their last six games.

In the first period the Kings opened the scoring at 17:19 from Anze Kopitar with a wrist shot from the slot off the rush. Assists: Adrian Kempe, Brian Dumoulin.

In the middle frame, Evander Kane tied the game 1-1, at 2:52, when stepping out of the penalty box, Kane accepted a stretch pass for a breakaway and beat goaltender Anton Forsberg on the stick side. Assists: Drew O’Connor, Tyler Myers.

Kings player Adrian Kempe scored the game-winner in overtime at 3:58, when after a chaotic scramble in front of the net where Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen ended up prone on the ice, Kempe fired the puck into the open net. The goal stood after a Situation Room review for goaltender interference. Assists: Quinton Byfield, Kevin Fiala.

Referees Take Prominent Role In Game

The first period was chaotic, featuring three disallowed goals in the opening minutes:

A Canucks goal was ruled “no goal” on the ice and upheld after video review confirmed the puck did not fully cross the line.
Two subsequent goals (one by each team, including a tip by Vancouver’s Aatu Räty) were overturned due to successful offside challenges by the respective coaches.
The game-winning sequence was controversial. Quinton Byfield drove the net on a 2-on-1, leading to a collision with Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen. The puck squirted loose to Kempe, who scored. The Situation Room ruled the contact was incidental and occurred outside the crease (in the “white ice”), allowing the goal to stand.

Top Performers

Adrian Kempe of the Kings: The first star of the game with the overtime winner and an assist on the opening goal.
Kevin Lankinen Canucks goalie: Kept the Canucks in the game with 21 saves on 23 shots, making several key stops before the chaotic ending in OT.
Evander Kane of the Canucks: Scored the lone goal for Vancouver and was a physical presence throughout the game.
Anton Forsberg Kings goalie: Solid in net for the Kings, stopping 19 of 20 shots to earn the win.

Game Quotes

From the Canucks:

Head Coach Adam Foote on the team’s resilience and young roster in pre-game interview: “They’ve done a good job. They’ve been put in some tough places, but they’re also pretty excited to get the opportunity and show their stuff and grow. When we get out of this, these injuries come back, we’re going to be deeper with guys with more experience, so we’ll take it.”

Coach Foote on defensive improvements needed: “[We need to] understand when we want to exaggerate our coverage, extend our coverage, and close out guys in the corners a little bit harder.”

From the Kings:

Head Coach Jim Hiller on the tight, low-scoring nature of the game: “It teaches you to play in tight games, but you don’t always want to be in those tight games. It’s hard on everybody… The players understand that they probably play a little more cautious than they would normally.”

Adrian Kempe on the overtime winner in the post-game interview: “I just tried to find some open ice. The puck popped out to me, and I had a pretty open net. Obviously, there was a little bit of a scramble, but I’ll take it.”

NHL Pacific Division Standings (November 30, 2025)

Rank	Team	GP	Record	Pts	Goal Diff	Streak
1	Anaheim Ducks	24	15-8-1	31	+11	W1
2	Los Angeles Kings	25	12-6-7	31	-2	W1
3	Vegas Golden Knights	25	11-6-8	30	0	W1
4	Seattle Kraken	24	11-7-6	28	-7	L3
5	San Jose Sharks	26	12-11-3	27	-10	L1
6	Edmonton Oilers	26	11-10-5	27	-14	W1
7	Vancouver Canucks	26	10-13-3	23	-16	L2
8	Calgary Flames	26	9-14-3	21	-16	W1

Odds N’ Ends

Canucks forward Conor Garland did not play because of an upper-body injury, according to NHL.com. Coach Adam Foote said Garland is still with the team in Los Angeles and would not know the seriousness of the injury until results of an examination were reviewed by the team doctor in Vancouver.

Next Up for the Canucks: They travel to Denver to face the league-leading Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.

Until next time, hockey fans

Nikita Tolopilo Leads Canucks to Victory

By Andrew Phillip Chernoff | CanucksBanter

November 27, 2025

In an exciting back-and-forth matchup that saw multiple lead changes and defensive breakdowns on both sides, the Vancouver Canucks snapped their three-game losing streak with a gritty 5-4 victory over the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, November 26, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Rookie goaltender Nikita Tolopilo was the story of the night for Vancouver, making 37 saves to secure his first NHL win of the season, while Max Sasson played the hero with the late game-winning goal.

Despite being outshot 13-5 in the opening frame, Vancouver capitalized on their chances with Linus Karlsson (4th goal of the season) opened the scoring at 9:49, burying a rebound off a Marcus Pettersson point shot.

Just two minutes later, Evander Kane (4th goal of the season) doubled the lead on the power play, snapping a wrist shot past Ducks netminder Petr Mrazek.

The second period saw a more determined Anaheim Ducks team, with both teams taking it up a notch into a back-and-forth offensive display.

Anaheim responded just 9 seconds into the period with a power-play goal from defenseman Jackson LaCombe.

Conor Garland restored the two-goal cushion at 3-1 with a spectacular individual effort, dangling around defender Drew Helleson before beating Mrazek.

The Ducks’ young core took over late in the period. Leo Carlsson (12th) scored on a backhand after a scramble, and Mason McTavish tied it up 3-3 with under two minutes left in the frame.

In the final period, with the game tied 3-3 and tension mounting, the Canucks found the winner in the final five minutes.

With 4:02 remaining, Max Sasson tipped a Filip Hronek point shot past Mrazek for the go-ahead goal.

Drew O’Connor added a crucial insurance marker into the empty net with 1:52 left.

A late goal by Cutter Gauthier with just 7 seconds remaining made the final score close, but Vancouver held on.

While the game wasn’t a defensive masterpiece—it was full of back and forth hockey, and for a team desperate to end a 3-game winless streak, the result mattered more than the process.

What’s Up?

Canucks (10-12-2): Head to San Jose to face the Sharks on November 28 in a Black Friday matinee (1:00 PM PT).

Until next time, hockey fans