radek faksa – 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 Dallas Stars hockey teams displayed against a blurred background.

By Andrew Phillip Chernoff | CanucksBanter

October 17, 2025

The Vancouver Canucks rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Dallas Stars 5-3 on October 16, 2025, at American Airlines Center in Dallas. A dominant four-goal second period was the key to the Canucks’ victory, handing the Stars their first loss of the season.

The Canucks’ victory was driven by a mid-game scoring onslaught, turning a two-goal deficit into a commanding lead, which they held onto despite a late push by the Stars.

The Vancouver Canucks are heading 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.

Stars Jump Out to a Lead

The Stars dominated the first period, controlling play and outshooting the Canucks 14-6.

Mavrik Bourque put the Stars on the scoreboard with an even-strength goal, assisted by Thomas Harley and Radek Faksa at 4:29. With 38 seconds left in the period, Mikki Rantanen extended the lead on the power play, assisted by Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz at 19:22.

Vancouver’s Explosive Rally

The Canucks completely reversed the momentum in the second, scoring four unanswered goals in a span of just over 12 minutes to take the lead.

Filip Chytil responded for the Canucks with an even-strength goal on a breakaway, assists to Evander Kane and Filip Hronek at 6:40 to pull within a goal of Dallas at 2-1.

Just over two minutes later, Brock Boeser tied the game with a power-play tip in, the Canucks first power play goal of the season, assisted by Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes at 8:50.

Seventy-six second later, recent call up from the Abbotsford Canucks, Max Sasson scored the go-ahead goal, assisted by Tyler Myers at 10:06 and it was 3-2 Vancouver.

As the period was nearing the end, Conor Garland gave the Canucks a two-goal lead with a backhand shot unassisted at 18:54 to conclude the period with a Vancouver 4-2 lead.

Canucks Seal the Win

Dallas pressured late with a goal from Wyatt Johnston, pulling the Stars back within one with a power-plaly goal at 17:52, assisted by Tyler Seguin and Jason Robertson but couldn’t complete the comeback.

Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, with his first goal of the season, secured the victory with an empty-net goal on a late power play, assisted by Filip Hronek and Conor Garland at 19:23.