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).
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 30:05of 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.
