Mar 7, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32) watches as defenseman Marcus Pettersson (29) checks Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy (12) in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesThe Vancouver Canucks continued their winning ways on Friday with a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Elias Pettersson, Kiefer Sherwood and Teddy Blueger provided the goals, while Kevin Lankinen stopped 37 of the 38 shots he faced for his 22nd win of the season. With the victory, Vancouver is now 5-0-1 in their last six home games and finds themselves back in a playoff position.
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The story of the night was easily Lankinen, who delivered one of his most impressive wins of the season. He made double-digit saves in each period, which included stopping 14 of 15 in the third. In the end, Lankinen was the reason the Canucks picked up two points, as he continues to show why he was one of, if not the best signing from the 2024 offseason.
"I mean, I don't want to take it for granted, but it's almost like I do," said Pettersson post-game about his goaltender. "He's been doing it all year. Yeah, he's been incredible for us."
Aside from Lankinen, Sherwood also had an impressive night. Not only did he score a goal, but he also recorded seven hits, had two shots on goal, and even dropped the gloves with Ryan Hartman. Ultimately, it was another in a long line of impressive performances this season for Sherwood, who picked up his fourth game-winning goal of the season.
While Vancouver did win, there were some concerns about their defensive zone play. They had many lucky bounces, which prevented the Wild from jumping on loose pucks that would have resulted in goals. If the Canucks do intend on making a run to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, they need to find ways to get the puck out of their zone quicker, as their sit-back and defend style could end up costing them.
"I think we've been playing pretty good defence the last six weeks, said Rick Tocchet post-game. You know pretty well, I think. But, you know, obviously, we got to start scoring some goals. I liked our start, but we had about four or five minutes. We had chances; we missed the net. Like, there's shots there. We've just gotta hit the net. We have to have shot selection where, you know, your shot, even if a low one will be a rebound. Somebody can be there to put the rebound. Sometimes, we're just trying to hit a p-hole, and we're missing the net. That's the one thing frustration. We got to hit the net and some wide-open shots. Then, you'll start to see some go in for us."
At this stage of the season, Vancouver will take wins however they can get them. The Canucks are now down to 20 games left and will need to keep stacking victories, especially in front of their home crowd. With some tough matchups over the next few weeks, including some against others in the playoff race, Vancouver needs to find a way to build momentum for the rest of the season.
Stats and Facts
- Lankinen's 22 wins are the 21st most by a goaltender in a single season in franchise history
- Elias Pettersson's 182nd career goal ties him with Ryan Kesler for the 14th most in franchise history
- Brock Boeser's 225th career assist moves him past Pavel Bure and into 18th all-time in franchise history
- Recording point number 71 with the Canucks, Filip Hronek moves into sole possession of 35th on the franchise all-time points by a defenseman list
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
16:10- VAN: Elias Pettersson (12) from Filip Hronek and Brock Boeser (PPG)
2nd Period:
No Scoring
3rd Period:
7:12- MIN: Brock Faber (7) from Marco Rossi and Matt Boldy (PPG)
16:15- VAN: Kiefer Sherwood (14) from Filip Hronek
19:06- VAN: Teddy Blueger (7) from Pius Suter (ENG)
Up Next:
The Canucks continue their four-game homestand on Sunday when they face the new-look Dallas Stars. Vancouver will be catching Dallas at the end of a back-to-back as the Stars will face the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night. Puck drop on Sunday is scheduled for 6:00 pm PT from Rogers Arena.
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