The Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
The Vancouver Canucks (16-20-4) hit the midway mark of the 2025-26 season on Saturday when they face the Boston Bruins (21-18-2). Vancouver has already defeated Boston this season, as the Canucks picked up a shootout victory ahead of the 2025 holiday break. Both teams currently find themselves below the playoff bar, which makes Saturday's matchup crucial for both sides.
For Vancouver, they need to find a way to start picking up victories at home. Through 18 games, the Canuck are 4-12-2, which ranks last in the NHL. With Saturday being the last game at Rogers Arena for a few weeks, Vancouver needs to ensure it can put forth a strong effort in front of their paying fans.
Saturday will also be a great opportunity for the Canucks to show that they can build some momentum heading into their upcoming road trip. While Vancouver did not win on Friday, they fought hard and received big performances from their top players like Jake DeBrusk, Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson. After a tough first half to the season, the Canucks highest-paid players need to show that they can consistently produce otherwise Vancouver will continually struggle to score in the second half of 2025-26.
Players To Watch:
Linus Karlsson:
Linus Karlsson has been a bright spot for the team so far this season. He has 10 goals on the year and on Friday, signed a two-year extension worth $4.5 million. Karlsson has shown he can deliver as both a bottom-six and top-six forward for the Canucks all year and has now established himself as a key part of the roster for the foreseeable future.
Fraser Minten:
For the first time in his NHL career, Fraser Minten will have the chance to play a game in his hometown. The 21-year-old is from the Lower Mainland and has established himself as an everyday NHLer this year. Minten is up to 15 points in 41 games, while his 85 hits rank fifth on the team.
Dec 14, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman (1) makes a save as Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) looks for the rebound during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesVancouver Canucks (16–20–3):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 9–15–24
Filip Hronek: 2–21–23
Conor Garland: 7–15–22
Kiefer Sherwood: 17–4–21
Jake DeBrusk: 10-10-20
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 8–8–1
Kevin Lankinen: 6–10–3
Nikita Tolopilo: 2–1–0
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
Boston Bruins (21-18-2)
Points:
David Pastrňák: 17-27-44
Morgan Geekie: 25-16-41
Pavel Zacha: 10-16-26
Elias Lindholm: 6-19-25
Charlie McAvoy: 1-19-20
Goaltenders:
Jeremy Swayman: 15-10-2
Joonas Korpisalo: 6-8-0
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
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