Brock Boeser Shines On Hockey Fights Cancer Night As Canucks Beat Ducks 3-1

Boeser scored his 16th and 17th goals of the season en route to a Canucks win.

Brock Boeser scored twice while Thatcher Demko made 30 saves as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on Tuesday night. With the win, Vancouver improved to 15-7-1 on the year and are the fifth team to surpass the 30-point mark this season. They also extended their team win streak against the Ducks to five games and have won six of the last seven against the California rivals. 

First, we have to start with Boeser. Not only was it a special night because he scored twice, but that this performance came on Hockey Fights Cancer Night. The Canucks winger lost his father in May 2022 following a long battle with cancer and Parkinson's disease. 

When asked after the morning skate about the game, Boeser responded with, "Not just hockey players, everyone in this room and everyone out in the world knows someone that's dealing with cancer. It's obviously something that hits home to me. It's an important night". After everything he has been through on and off the ice over the past few years, it is great that not only is he having a career year but that he was able to have a strong game on Hockey Fights Cancer Night.

Now, onto the breakdown of the game. Overall, this game was similar to Saturday night's outing against the Sharks. The Canucks sat back for the first two periods until they eventually found their legs in the third. Ultimately, they were lucky to escape with two points from this game, with the main reason being another phenomenal performance from Demko. 

While Demko did get a break in the third, only facing four shots, the fact that he faced 27 through the first 40 minutes against the Ducks can not happen. This is an Anaheim team that, coming into tonight, was averaging 28.7 shots per game and almost hit that quota by the end of the second. Whether it was not taking the opponent seriously or not being ready at puck drop, this is something the Canucks need to look into, as it could cost them later on in the season. 

To wrap things up, one skater that stood out tonight was Elias Pettersson. Not only did he score a fantastic wrap-around goal while being hooked by a defender, but was able to land a few big hits. Asked postgame about this increased level of play, Pettersson explained that it's fun to throw hits and followed that up by saying, "Just laying guys out. Usually, it's the other way around where I end up on the ground, but it's nice to give it back sometimes... If I see I can hit, I'll always try to hit." Nights like tonight are not just a good reminder of how committed he is to becoming one of the league's best all-around players but also how dedicated he is to doing whatever it takes to win. 

Stats and Facts

- J.T Miller, Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser are the first quartet in NHL history where each teammate collected 25 points through the season's first 23 games

- Boeser records his 24th career multi-goal night 

- With two assists, Miller records his 93rd career multi-point night as a member of the Vancouver Canucks

- In his return to the lineup, Andrei Kuzmenko played 12:58, recording one shot and one blocked shot

Game Summary

1st Period:

VAN: 6:34- Brock Boeser (16th) from Filip Hronek and J.T. Miller 

2nd Period:

ANA: 5:10- Ryan Strome (3rd) from Adam Henrique and Frank Vatrano (PPG)

3rd Period:

VAN: 0:32- Elias Pettersson (9th) from Tyler Myers and Ilya Mikheyev

VAN: 19:12- Brock Boeser (17th) from J.T. Miller (PPG, ENG)

Canucks Next Opponent 

Up next for Vancouver will be another Pacific Division duel as they take on the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, on Thursday night. This will be the first time Vancouver and Vegas have faced each other this season, with the winner of the game claiming the top spot in the division for the night. Game time is set for 7:00 pm PT at Rogers Arena.