The curtain comes down on a disappointing 2024-25 National Hockey League season for the Vancouver Canucks (38-29-14) tonight when they play host to the Vegas Golden Knights (49-22-10) at Rogers Arena.
It’s fan appreciation night and the Canucks will dole out their year end team awards as the game unfolds.

What we know

After a full team day off yesterday, the Canucks took to the ice for their final morning skate of the season. Filip Chytil was among those involved and, in fact, had shed his non-contact jersey. However, he will not return to action tonight. 
Kevin Lankinen will make his 49th start of the season. He carries a record of 25-15-10 into action tonight. The Canucks will go with the same 18 skaters they used in Monday’s 2-1 overtime victory over San Jose. That means rookie Kirill Kudryavtsev will play his second NHL game, and fellow freshman Ty Mueller will dress for a third straight contest.
Jake DeBrusk has scored in four straight games for the second time this season. His overtime winner on Monday was his career-best 28th goal of the season. He carries a three-goal lead over Brock Boeser for the team lead in his first season in Vancouver.
Tonight could be the final game in Boeser’s Canucks tenure. The 2015 first-rounder and pending unrestricted free agent has appeared in 553 regular season games for the franchise, registering 204 goals and 434 points. Boeser sits 22nd in all time games played for the franchise, eighth in goals and 12th among all Canuck point getters.
Quinn Hughes picked up an assist on the DeBrusk winner, matching Alex Edler’s 409 points – most in franchise history by a defenceman. Hughes accomplished the feat in 432 games while Edler appeared in 925 as a Canuck. Overall, Hughes is tied for 14th in franchise scoring. With another 40 points, he will move into the team’s top 10.
The assist was the 60th of the season for Hughes. It’s the fourth straight season he’s reached that mark. In doing so, he joins Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey as the only defencemen in NHL history to accomplish that feat.
Monday’s victory was the first for the Canucks in nine trips beyond regulation on home ice this season. The team is 9-6 beyond regulation on the road.

The opponent

The Golden Knights have locked up top spot in the Pacific and will face Minnesota in the opening round of the playoffs. Vegas is here to close out the regular season after falling 5-4 in a shootout last night in Calgary.
Pavel Dorofeyev with his team leading 34th of the season, Tomas Hertl with his 32nd, Nicholas Roy and Brandon Saad scored the Golden Knight goals. Vegas lost despite outshooting Calgary 42-28.
Vegas rested leading scorers Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, along with veteran defencemen Alex Pietrangelo and Noah Hanafin. Ilya Sorokin got the start in goal. With back-to-back games, the Golden Knights did not have a morning skate, and there is no indication yet what kind of lineup they will ice tonight with nothing on the line. There is a strong possibility that many of their top players will once again be held out of action.
The Knights will reach the 50-win mark for the third time in franchise history if they are victorious tonight. They enter the game 4-0-2 in their last six games and 10-2-2 in their last 14.
Vegas has taken the first three meetings between these teams this season, winning twice on home ice, both by scores of 3-1, and skating to a 3-2 victory in Vancouver on April 6th. Overall, the Canucks have managed just four regulation victories in 24 career head to head meetings with the Golden Knights.
Today’s referees: Pierre Lambert & Chris Schlenker
Today’s broadcasters: John Shorthouse & Ray Ferraro
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