Thursday night offered a welcome reprieve for the Vancouver Canucks, who had lost 14 of 15 games since the end of December. The Anaheim Ducks came to town last night, and the Canucks found a way to exhale. It wasn’t perfect hockey, and it wasn’t a night to erase their struggles, but the 2-0 win showed that even a team in the thick of a slump can find pieces to build on.
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It wasn’t a high-scoring showcase, but it was disciplined, opportunistic, and a reminder that goaltending still matters. Nikita Tolopilo handled 32 saves, even after a scary collision that had him briefly replaced by Kevin Lankinen. Drew O’Connor and Teddy Blueger scored key goals, and suddenly, a team that had been grinding through frustration could look up. Still, there were limits and lessons. Wins like this are encouraging—but they don’t erase the gaps the Canucks still need to fix.
Three Positives for the Canucks
Here are three positives for the Canucks from Thursday’s games.
Positive 1: Canucks Young Goalie Nikita Tolopilo Steps Up
Nikita Tolopilo’s performance was the obvious headline. Thirty-two saves, a brief exit, and then back in to close out the shutout—well, shared with Lankinen, but still. The young netminder showed composure after a collision that could have rattled a more inexperienced goalie. That kind of steadiness gives a team confidence, especially a squad that’s struggled to string together wins. Vancouver leaned on him, and he delivered.
Positive 2: The Canucks Got Opportunistic Scoring from Drew O’Connor
Drew O’Connor’s third-period strike was textbook patience meeting opportunity. A one-timer from the right hash mark, off a smart pass from Jake DeBrusk, illustrated that the Canucks can still manufacture big plays when they read the play right. O’Connor isn’t just hitting the net—he’s doing it at key moments, showing he can be counted on in crunch situations. That kind of forward presence is exactly what Vancouver needs to spark momentum.
Positive 3: Teddy Blueger’s Short-Handed Goal Helped the Canucks
Teddy Blueger’s short-handed goal late in the game may not hit the highlight reels as much as a 5-on-5 snipe, but it’s just as meaningful. It reflects discipline, awareness, and execution when the team is at a disadvantage. For a Canucks squad still searching for identity and consistency, those moments matter—they show the team can capitalize on pressure and maintain focus in tough spots.
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Three Negatives for the Canucks
Here are three negatives for the Canucks from Thursday’s games.
Negative 1: The Canucks Still Suffer from Offensive Inconsistency
Two goals against a struggling Ducks team don’t erase the fact that Vancouver has had trouble generating sustained offence. Shots came, but scoring chances were sporadic, and the team had to rely heavily on a single mistake by Anaheim to find their first goal. If they’re going to climb the standings, that kind of inconsistency can’t continue.
Negative 2: Depth Still a Canucks’ Question Mark
Even with contributions from O’Connor and Blueger, the Canucks’ roster beyond the top lines still leaves questions. A lot of minutes were eaten by forwards who aren’t producing offensively, and that will be a problem against deeper, faster teams. A one-off win doesn’t fix a lineup that struggles when it faces pressure over 60 minutes.
Negative 3: The Canucks Can’t Depend on Goaltending
Tolopilo’s performance was stellar, but it also highlights a worry: Vancouver leaned heavily on the goalie to steal the game. While having a hot netminder is great, a team can’t rely on saves alone. They still need structure and scoring balance across all lines to avoid games where the netminder has to bail them out repeatedly.
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What’s Next for the Canucks?
Thursday night was a reminder that wins can come even during long stretches of frustration. The Canucks found some things to feel good about—Tolopilo’s resilience, O’Connor’s clutch touch, and Blueger’s short-handed skill. But they also exposed ongoing gaps in depth, scoring, and the reliance on goaltending to hold the line.
The takeaway? There are small victories here, but a lot more work remains before Vancouver can string nights like this together consistently.
