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Canucks keep pace with the speedy Ducks and score the go-ahead goal late in the third to win chaotic affair in Anaheim
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Published Nov 26, 2025 • Last updated 14 hours ago • 4 minute read
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Conor Garland (8) scores past Anaheim Ducks goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) during the second period on Wednesday night in Anaheim, Calif. Photo by Kyusung Gong /APArticle content
The Anaheim Ducks love to score. They skate fast. They’re chaos on ice.
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The Vancouver Canucks give up lots of goals, even if that’s not want they’re trying to do. They’re chaos on ice themselves.
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And so you aren’t surprised that this game ended up a 5-4 win for the Canucks, are you?
The Canucks have not struggled to score this season. They’ve had goals already from 19 different players. Injuries? Who cares. Next man up and he’s gonna score.
In many ways what the Ducks are doing here, playing fast hockey with youthful vigour, is who the Canucks want to become.
Better defensively of course, but dynamic when they have the puck on their stick.
“Maybe a little too up and down,” Max Sasson quipped to Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy after the game.
“I thought in the third we started getting pucks in and letting our guys do their thing, Quinn, Hrony,” he added.
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Vancouver Canucks goaltender Nikita Tolopilo (60) stops the shot by Anaheim Ducks defenceman Jackson Lacombe (2) during the first period Photo by Kyusung Gong /APThe young netminder
The Canucks have bled shots against all season. Some have been five-alarm fires. But on the whole they’ve had pretty good goaltending most nights, keeping them in it.
Nikita Tolopilo is the latest goalie to give the Canucks top quality in the crease. The big Belarusian is back to full health and looking his classic calm self.
He’s always shown a steady demeanour to everyone, whether it’s teammates, coaches or reporters.
When Ian Clark recruited him in 2023, he saw a potential goalie of the future. He may yet be that, even with Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen signed long term.
He was cool all night, made a mountain of saves, and made most look easy.
Anaheim Ducks centre Leo Carlsson (91) and Vancouver Canucks centre David Kampf (64) vie for the puck during the first period Photo by Kyusung Gong /APPlayer GradesForwards
Elias Pettersson C+ A couple really nice early plays: blocking a breakout attempt on PP with his foot, then a couple shifts later good patience on the side wall to set up Kane coming into the slot. A couple nice chances in the third too. But high-paced Ducks are tough to slow down and the Canucks’ No. 1 centre wasn’t able to slow them down much.
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Evander Kane B- Goals are goals and he scored one in the first. He can be a handy player still in a lesser role.
Jake DeBrusk C+ Like his centreman, some decent moments on offence but it’s a two-way game and this line wasn’t great.
David Kampf C+ He’s not really a No. 2 centre, but you can see he’s an NHLer. Moved really well tonight but the offensive touch just isn’t there.
Brock Boeser B- Two early PP chances. Kept shooting all night. Led the rush, then set up Garland for the Canucks’ third goal.
Conor Garland B Feisty and aggressive as ever.
Aatu Raty C Didn’t play much. Lost shifts to Max Sasson as the night went on.
Drew O’Connor B- Started quick but struggled in third. A couple tough turnovers and a penalty. And then he wins the faceoff ahead of the Sasson goal.
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Kiefer Sherwood B- A bit like O’Connor, struggled at times to make an impact, but stuck with it and created some pressure in the third.
Max Sasson B- Didn’t play a ton but picked up some shifts for Raty and was good around the net even before he tipped in the go-ahead goal in the third.
Arshdeep Bains C+ Great play after a zone entry to set up a Marcus Pettersson shot which became Linus Karlsson’s fourth goal of the season. Didn’t play much after that though.
Linus Karlsson B- Marvellous effort to gain the zone and a shot early on, then right in position to collect Pettersson’s shot off the end boards and flip into the wide open net. But didn’t play much after that as Canucks shortened their bench.
Defence
Quinn Hughes A The captain is here and he’s going to give his all. An effervescent presence all night.
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Filip Hronek A Another monster night for the Canucks’ No. 2. He’s leading by example in his own way.
Junior Pettersson C+ Deked out in neutral zone early by Mason McTavish. Another tough night.
Tyler Myers C+ A wild defensive effort through the neutral zone in the first leaves him and Junior Pettersson sprawling. Not bad defensively otherwise but struggling to make an offensive impact. His hockey is up and down these days.
Marcus Pettersson C+ Other than helping out on the Karlsson goal, wasn’t up to much offensively. But he was decent on defence, which the Canucks need.
Tom Willander C He’s not had many bad nights in the NHL, but he did on this night. Struggled to get out of his zone and struggled to make reads against the very speedy Ducks. And yet somehow he managed to pick up two more assists.
Goalie
Nikita Tolopilo A Making his second career start, faced a flurry of shots in the first and looked calm the whole time. Even in the second when Anaheim scored twice, he did everything he could behind the Canucks’ porous defence. Stood tall in the third and ended up with 38 saves on the night.
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