Filip Chytil – Page 4 – CanucksBanter

Logos of the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks superimposed over an ice rink background.

By Andrew Phillip Chernoff | CanucksBanter

October 18, 2025

The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in a shootout in a hard-fought contest. This victory marked the Canucks’ second straight win and extended their dominant streak over the Blackhawks.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Dallas Stars 5-3, Vancouver once again orchestrated a rally to come back from a 2-0 deficit. The win improved Vancouver’s record to 3-2-0 and extended their winning streak against Chicago to 11 straight games.

The Blackhawks registered on the scoreboard first but lacked the same effort of the initial period in the middle frame, eventually taking a heartbreaking loss to go 2-2-2 on the season, snapping a two-game win streak.

Pacific Division Record (as of October 18, 2025)

Table displaying the Pacific Division standings in the NHL, showing games played, wins, losses, overtime losses, points, goals for, goals against, and last 10 game performance.

Blackhawks Take Early Lead

Chicago jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals from Ryan Donato (power-play goal, assisted by Andre Burakovsky and Artyom Levshunov) and Tyler Bertuzzi (rebound goal, assisted by Sam Rinzel).

Canucks Battle Back

Vancouver rallied in the second period, tying the game at 2-2.

Jake DeBrusk, celebrating his 29th birthday, scored a power-play goal at 6:49 of the second period (assisted by Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes).
Max Sasson tied the game with a tap-in at 6:18 remaining in the period (assisted by Filip Hronek and Linus Karlsson).

Controversial Call

Late in the third period, a potential go-ahead goal by Chicago’s Tyler Bertuzzi was waved off for goaltender interference. The Blackhawks challenged the call, but it was upheld after a review, keeping the score tied. This was a major talking point post-game, with Blackhawks players and coaches expressing frustration over the ambiguity of the rule.

The Goaltenders

The game remained locked through a scoreless third period and overtime.

Kevin Lankinen (VAN), playing against his former team, was a standout with 31 saves and a perfect performance in the shootout.
Spencer Knight (CHI) also played well, stopping 30 shots in regulation and overtime.

Shootout Winner

After seven combined shooters failed to score, Brock Boeser ended the shootout in the fourth round, sniping a shot past Spencer Knight for the Canucks win.

Key Player Performances

Vancouver Canucks
- Jake DeBrusk: 1 goal (power play), 10 shots, 21:32 TOI. His chip-in goal sparked the comeback.
- Max Sasson: 1 goal, his second in two nights, in just 8:17 TOI.
- Brock Boeser: Shootout winner, 3 shots, 23:27 TOI.
- Quinn Hughes: 1 assist, led all skaters with 30:08 TOI.
- Teddy Blueger: Made his season debut after injury, playing 12:57 and finishing minus-1.
Chicago Blackhawks
- Tyler Bertuzzi: 1 goal, 6 shots, 19:02 TOI; had a goal disallowed in the third.
- Ryan Donato: 1 power-play goal, 3 shots.
- Connor Bedard: No points but 4 shots and 25:01 TOI, with 4 penalty minutes.

Game Stats

At The Buzzer

Canucks

Vancouver’s comeback showcased their depth and grit, particularly on a challenging back-to-back road trip.
The team’s ability to rally after a sluggish first period—attributed to travel fatigue—highlights improved conditioning and coaching adjustments under Adam Foote.
The second-period surge highlighted their offensive depth and ability to capitalize on the power play.
Offensively, contributions from DeBrusk, Sasson, and Boeser balanced the load, while Lankinen’s goaltending was the backbone, especially in high-pressure moments.
However, early concessions (allowing 2-0 leads in recent games) remain a concern, as Foote noted the need for stronger starts and more net-front battles.
Goaltending from Kevin Lankinen was dominating, especially in the shootout, where he shut down all four Blackhawks attempts. His strong performance was crucial to securing the extra point.

Blackhawks

For Chicago, the game exposed vulnerabilities in maintaining leads. A hot start with efficient scoring (high shooting percentage early in the season) was not present for the Hawks, allowing Vancouver to dictate play.
Young stars like Bedard and Bertuzzi generated chances, but defensive lapses and poor power-play execution (1/7) left them hanging.
The disallowed goal was the turning point, shifting momentum, and deflating the home team.
The line of Ryan Donato, Jason Dickinson, and Ilya Mikheyev was a thorn in the side of the Canucks all game.
Overall, the Blackhawks show promise with their youth movement but needed better consistency to close out games against resilient opponents like Vancouver.

5-GAME ROAD TRIP CONTINUES

At Washington Capitals: October 19/25 @ 9:30 am PDT
At Pittsburgh Penguins: October 21/25 @ 4:00 pm PDT
At Nashville Predators: October 27/25 @5:00 pm PDT

Until next time, hockey fans

Logos of the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks against an ice rink background.

By Andrew Phillip Chernoff | CanucksBanter

October 17, 2025

The Vancouver Canucks head into a challenging back-to-back situation against the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, and will try to make it consecutive wins after ending their two game winless streak against the Stars with a convincing 5-3 win last night.

The Back-to-Back Challenge

The most critical factor for Vancouver is the rest disadvantage. Playing on consecutive nights, the Canucks will likely start backup goaltender Kevin Lankinen against his former team, allowing Thatcher Demko to rest.

The team will need to rely on the depth and momentum generated from last night’s rally in Dallas to secure two points.

Blackhawks: High-Flying Offense

Chicago’s young core is clicking offensively. They have a high goal-scoring rate early in the season with 16 goals scored, allowing 11 in their last 4-games and are riding a two-game win streak, including a statement-making 8-3 victory in their previous game in St. Louis against the Blues on Wednesday night.

They will have the rest advantage at home, which gives them a distinct edge tonight. Expect a fast-paced game from the Blackhawks as they look to put pressure on Vancouver’s likely backup netminder.

Goaltending Matchup

Canucks: Expected to be Kevin Lankinen (0-1-0, 4.09 GAA, .886 SV%).
Blackhawks: Likely starter is Spencer Knight (1-2-0, 2.35 GAA, .920 SV%)

Players to Watch

Canucks:

Quinn Hughes:
- Is coming off a 2-point performance (1G, 1A) last night. His ability to break the Blackhawks’ defensive coverage will be key to the Canucks in them being able to get the win.
Filip Cytil:
- Continues to play well, scored last night and has a team-leading 3 goals tied with Brock Boeser and Kiefer Sherwood. This season he is a primary offensive threat, who has been bringing energy and scoring depth, and is likely to continue the same tonight.

Blackhawks:

Conor Bedard:
- Is leading the team with 6 points (2G, 4A) in 5 games. He’s coming off a 3-assist night and is a threat to put up multiple points.
Teuvo Teravainen:
- Tied with Bedard with 6 points (1G, 5A). He is an offensive catalyst for Chicago at this point of the season.

Importance of the Game

Vancouver:
- Momentum & Road Trip: This is the second game of a long road trip. A win would continue the momentum and move the team above the 0.500 mark. It would also be significant if the team can perform effectively in back-to-back situations.
- Confidence in Depth: A win with a likely backup goalie and potentially tired legs builds trust in the entire roster and confidence in their ability to compete.

Chicago:
- Evening the Record: A win would bring the Blackhawks’ record to 3-2-1 (7 points), continuing to impress on their season start, and even their record after three losses to begin the season.
- Offensive Validation: Chicago’s offence is hot. Sustaining that high-scoring pace against the Canucks would reinforce the offensive threat posed by the youthful roster.

Until next time, hockey fans