Canucks Player Grades: Brock Boeser bags hat-trick in wild 8-6 win over Avalanche

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The Canucks’ most competitive effort of the season saw their mettle successfully tested for an elusive victory in Denver.

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Published Apr 01, 2026 • Last updated 3 hours ago • 5 minute read

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Vancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser, front, is congratulated as he passes the team box after scoring his third goal of the night on April 1, 2026. Photo by AP Photo/David Zalubowski /APArticle content

It’s always a danger game when you face the Vancouver Canucks.

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The danger for the league-leading Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday was taking the last-place Canucks too lightly. After all, the high-octane club leads the NHL in points, offence, boasts a 24-7-5 home-ice record and is favoured to capture the Stanley Cup.

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And the plummeting Canucks had lost six straight, and Kevin Lankinen had a 1-4-1 career mark against the Avalanche with a bloated 4.08 goals-against average and paltry .883 save percentage.

So, what could go wrong in Denver for the dominant Avalanche? A lot, in a wild 8-6 setback in which Colorado trailed 6-2, rallied and failed to overcome.

Marcus Pettersson buried a Brock Boeser pass from behind the net to snap a 6-6 draw with 5:39 remaining, and with their goalie pulled and 2:15 left, the Avalanche were denied. Boeser then ended the suspense with an empty-netter for his seventh hat-trick and 21st goal of the season. He finished with a four-point night and has 14 points (8-6) in his last 10 games.

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Vancouver Canucks defenseman Marcus Pettersson, left, celebrates after scoring the go-ahead goal with right wing Brock Boeser in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Denver. Photo by AP Photo/David Zalubowski /AP

“I thought we just competed hard throughout the whole game,” said Boeser. “Obviously, we were expecting a big push from them. They scored a few and I’m just happy we stuck with it and got the win. It’s been a rough go of late and we just want to compete each and every night and play as hard as we can.

“Any time you can get a win against the top team in the league we should enjoy this one because we have a tough one tomorrow (Minnesota). “I thought our last game was better and tonight was better, too.”

Teddy Blueger nearly scored his first career hat-trick, struck for a shorthanded goal, and led by example as an unrestricted free agent who wants to return to help set the roster’s rebuild culture. It was the Canucks’ most competitive effort of the season, and they had to fight to hang on for the elusive victory.

“It was just the way we stuck together,” said Blueger. “We gave up some goals we’d like to have back, but got the winning goal and were unfazed throughout the whole course of the game in not getting too high or too low. We showed great unity, togetherness, and just a great win. We pressured well on the PK and had good sticks and it’s getting better. We’re getting in a rhythm.”

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A fast start by the Canucks and sloppiness by the sleepy Avalanche, who gave up odd-man rushes and a goal after just 29 seconds, set the tone. Vancouver scored twice the opening six minutes and three times in the first 11:38. The outburst included power-play and shorthanded goals to stun the sold-out crowd.

If that wasn’t bad enough for the Avalanche, starting goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood was yanked in the second period after allowing six goals on 19 shots. They did get Nathan MacKinnon’s 50th goal of the season and he had seven shots and 11 attempts.

Maybe it was those sharp throwback Quebec Nordiques uniforms that affected Colorado’s eyesight and threw the club off.

Let’s put it this way, for some shocking perspective: The last time the Canucks scored a power-play goal in Denver was seven years ago when the mercurial Nikolay Goldobin pulled the trigger. Yes, Goldobin. He of just 18 goals in 113 career games in Vancouver.

Of course, the biggest concern was whether the Canucks could keep playing on their toes and not sit back on their heels.

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There’s too much evidence of sour second periods where they fold at the slightest hint of adversity after giving up a goal. They had surrendered the most middle-frame tallies (106) and scored the fewest, (59) entering the night, so they knew the wolves would be at the door and the Avalanche would not go quietly into the night.

Their 89 goals in the second period ranked sixth and the 64 allowed are third fewest. And to their credit, the Canucks weathered the storm and allowed just one second-period goal and six shots, while scoring three times.

As expected, Colorado pushed hard in the third period. Even though Lankinen made several sprawling saves, the Avalanche struck three times, including two in a span of 37 seconds, to make it 6-6 and a wild finish.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen deflects a shot from the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Photo by AP Photo/David Zalubowski /AP

“We had a good start and guys were playing hard,” said Canucks coach Adam Foote. “They were playing aggressive which led to a few odd-man rushes, but they (the Avalanche) are a potent team. We let them have two or three goals they shouldn’t have had. We had our legs tonight and we wanted to push up ice in the second period and not sit back.

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“We’ve been working hard at it and our whole plan tonight was to play at pace and for them and work together. We didn’t panic and stuck with it. We’re staying in game and not falling apart mentally and I’m really proud of that. They (players) know they’ve deserved better in these last games.

“And to see Boeser lead like that is huge as a leader and to take that step. To respond like that is awesome.”

REPORT CARDSForwards

Liam Ohgren (C)

Speed turned PK shift in and odd-man rush and Blueger’s first goal.

Elias Pettersson (C+)

Assisted DeBrusk goal and won 11 of 16 draws, but had just one shot.

Jake DeBrusk (C+)

Deft tip down low for his 16th goal and 14th on PP. Had three shots.

Drew O’Connor (C+)

Big guy can move, forecheck, score. Three shots and Grade A look.

Marco Rossi (C+)

Must get greedy. Passed on Grade A PP shot. Two assists. No shots.

Brock Boeser (A)

Four points. No hesitation goal, wrister, empty-netter. Four shots.

Max Sasson (C+)

Speed to slip home opening goal, set up Blueger, nearly potted pair.

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Teddy Blueger (B+)

Sweet feed from Ohgren for third SH tally, breakaway goal, almost trio.

Linus Karlsson (C)

Quiet night for a guy with improved stride and net presence. No shots.

Curtis Douglas (C+)

Grinder got to net, nearly scored first goal in 37 career games, four shots.

Aaty Raty (C+)

Low-event night for fourth-liner. Not many minutes, won 9 of 13 draws.

Nils Hoglander (C)

Played with chip on shoulder. Mixed it up. Drove hard. Proved something.

Defence

Zeev Buium (C)

Head on swivel against speedy Avs. Screened Lankinen on fifth goal.

Filip Hronek (C+)

Solid as usual. Veteran leadership by example on back end with Buium.

Marcus Pettersson (B-)

Big goal. Kept it simple. Moved pucks quickly, three hits, three blocks.

Tom Willander (C+)

Smart play in offensive zone to buy time, spot Pettersson at back door.

Elias Pettersson (C)

Got caught on long second-period shift, but threw three heavy hits.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph (C)

Struggled in own zone once Avs decided to push issue. Minus-2.

Goal

Kevin Lankinen (C+)

Under siege in third period as Avalanche rallied back to make it 6-6.

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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