Vancouver allowed two shorthanded goals against and scored two power play goals in their 5-4 overtime win against the Nashville Predators.
The Vancouver Canucks’ special teams told the story in their 5–4 overtime win against the Nashville Predators tonight, as they surrendered two power playgoals but also scored two of their own while on the man-advantage. Evander Kane and Brock Boeser each had two goals, with the latter scoring the overtime winner with two seconds left in overtime. Jake DeBrusk also found the scoresheet tonight, while Thatcher Demko stopped 25 of 29 shots against.
Things took a positive turn on the injury front tonight, as Canucks captain Quinn Hughes returned to the lineup for the first time in four games. Hughes came into the lineup for Pierre-Olivier Joseph in a surprising move to keep rookie Tom Willander in the team’s top-six. During today’s practice, Canucks head coach Adam Foote also noted that Conor Garland is close to returning and Teddy Blueger could be back soon after him as well.
True to Hughes’ fashion, the defenceman looked dangerous early on. He was active in the O-zone during the first period, curling around the net and helping set up a couple of close-range chances including one for Kiefer Sherwood. The Canucks captain was the early TOI leader for his team, finishing the first period with 8:04 minutes played and a grand total of 28:05 in regulation and overtime.
“Obviously he’s our best player, so it means a lot,” Boeser said after the game about the impact Hughes’ return to the lineup has on the team. “The way he drives play out there and leads, it’s something we all look up to. I’m happy to see him back out there.”
"We all know what Huggy brings. He was all over the place early in the game," Foote added.
With Hughes’ return, the Canucks’ first power play unit is now one step closer to how it had looked when primarily healthy at the start of the season, with the only player missing being Garland. In three power play opportunities and one 6-on-5 (delayed penalty) tonight, the Canucks scored two goals while on the man-advantage. It was the second unit that cashed in first, as Kane, joined by the Calder Cup line (Max Sasson, Arshdeep Bains, and Linus Karlsson), found the back off a speedy zone entrance from Sasson. This line had a strong showing tonight, with each player factoring into the scoring both on and off the scoresheet for Vancouver.
Vancouver’s second power play opportunity allowed them to test things out while on a 5-on-3 advantage for only slightly less than a minute. The extra call was drawn after some extended O-zone time for the Canucks, who had already produced some dangerous chances on the power play. Just after the first penalty to Nashville ended, the Canucks engaged in some pretty passing from Pettersson to give DeBrusk his third goal of the season.
By this point in the night, the Canucks were already up to 22 shots lobbed on Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros. The end of their power play didn’t stop them from riding the wave of their momentum, however. Coming off a strong game against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, Willander took the puck for himself and carried it deep into Nashville’s zone, sending a seeing-eye pass to Boeser, who fired it home for Vancouver’s third of the night.
"He's been playing good hockey for us. I like his game right now," Foote said of the young defenceman's game. "He's got some poise with the puck and some confidence, and it's nice to see that happen for him."
The Canucks’ penalty kill, which has struggled as of late with a 71.1% success rate, was a key part of tonight’s game — and not in a good way. Vancouver’s penalty kill got off to a good start, as the Predators failed to generate any shots or scoring chances during their first opportunity and had difficulty setting up against a shorthanded Canucks team that had one of their main penalty killers, Sherwood, sitting in the penalty box. However, things took a rough turn towards the end of the game.
With a one-goal lead with less than five minutes left in the third period, Kane was called for high-sticking, sending his team onto the penalty kill for their fourth time tonight. Needing one more kill to help secure their win, Vancouver surrendered yet another power play goal after Nick Blankenburg fired the puck home to tie the game at four goals apiece.
Unsurprisingly, it was Hughes who started overtime off with a bang, forcing the puck into Nashville’s zone in an attempt to find a scoring chance. With 10 seconds remaining and an O-zone draw awaiting them, Vancouver called a timeout to rest up their players and draw up a play. The quick break ultimately paid off, as Boeser scored his second of the night with one second remaining in overtime to steal the win from the Predators.
“I think it’s a huge win for our team, and going 2–1 on this road trip with a ton of banged up bodies,” Boeser added postgame. “I think it’s huge for our group to get back to .500 and go home. So I’m really proud of our group.”
Stats and Facts:
- Canucks maintain their undefeated record past regulation, winning their fourth game in extra time
- Evander Kane scores his first goal as a Canuck and registers his first multi-goal game since April 5, 2024
- Canucks register more shots than their opponent for the fourth time this season
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
6:47 - NSH: Filip Forsberg (6) from Brady Skjei and Luke Evangelista
14:44 - VAN: Evander Kane (1) from Filip Hronek and Arshdeep Bains (PPG)
2nd Period:
12:57 - VAN: Jake DeBrusk (3) from Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson (PPG)
15:05 - VAN: Brock Boeser (5) from Tom Willander and D. Elias Pettersson
18:44 - NSH: Erik Haula (3) from Filip Forsberg and Luke Evangelista
3rd Period:
3:02 - VAN: Evander Kane (2) from Linus Karlsson and Marcus Pettersson
11:52 - NSH: Michael Bunting (4) from Spencer Stastney
16:38 - NSH: Nick Blankenburg (1) from Matthew Wood and Michael Bunting (PPG)
Overtime:
4:58 - VAN: Brock Boeser (6) from Elias Pettersson
Up Next:
Vancouver returns to Rogers Arena for a four-game homestand kicked off by a match against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. This will be the second time the Canucks have faced Chicago this season, as they won their last outing 3–2 in the shootout. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
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