3 Standouts From Game #6: Devils 4, Canucks 1

Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks “3 Standouts From The Game.” In this recurring series, The Hockey News’ Canucks team will do a deep dive into three standouts from Vancouver’s last game. This article will focus on the Canucks' most recent 4–1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. 

While he didn’t end up on the scoresheet on Saturday, Jake DeBrusk was easily the Canucks’ most noticeable forward. It was difficult for Vancouver to generate offence against the Devils on Saturday, but when they did manage to, DeBrusk was often involved in the play. The winger finished the game with the team’s high in shots with seven and played in the second-most minutes by a Canucks forward with 17:15. 

As a whole, however, DeBrusk and his line of Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Lekkerimäki were notable offensively. The trio combined for their team’s highest volume of scoring chances-for with seven. They also logged five high-danger scoring chances-for while surrendering only one. 

Leevi Meriläinen put up a strong performance today despite dealing with equipment issues mid-game. He surrendered only one goal before a hard shot knocked the blade off of his skate, taking him out of the final five minutes of the first period. Meriläinen’s skate blade popped out another time, during the second period, though this time he didn’t need to come off the ice for an extended period of time. 

Even with the awkward flow of the game for Meriläinen, the goaltender stopped 31 of 34 shots faced and did not allow a goal-against on 27 even-strength shots faced. His stats on the season are now up to a .929 SV% and 2.18 GAA. 

Vancouver’s lone goal-scorer in Saturday’s game was Linus Karlsson, who potted his first of the 2026–27 season and is now up to five points in six games so far. The forward wound up on Vancouver’s first power-play unit after Elias Pettersson briefly left the ice, finding the back of the net early into the elevated opportunity. 

Adding to his game-opening goal is the fact that Karlsson drew the early penalty for Vancouver after ending up on the receiving end of a hook by Anthony Mantha. 

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