logo
CanucksArmy has no direct affiliation to the Vancouver Canucks, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
Instant Reaction: Canucks do cardio in 5-0 loss to the Maple Leafs
alt
Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Cody Severtson
Jan 10, 2026, 21:54 EST
Comments
Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at CanucksArmy where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Vancouver Canucks game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
Starting Lineup
First Period
Tentative play to start for both teams, followed by a Canucks’ power play brought on by a Too Many Men bench minor from Toronto. The Canucks registered exactly zero shots on goal over their two-minute man advantage.
It wasn’t exactly a thrilling first five minutes. In fact, the first real chance of the first period came when a pass in the low slot rebounded off a Canucks’ defenceman and beyond Thatcher Demko’s outstretched pad. Were it not for the well-placed stick of Filip Hronek, the Maple Leafs would have recorded the game’s first goal.
Tragically, another two minutes would elapse before something interesting happened. This time, Auston Matthews drew a tripping penalty against Aatu Räty, giving the home team their first power play of the game.
The Maple Leafs drew first blood on just their second shot of the period, off some genuinely horrific d-zone PK coverage by the Canucks. Racing down the wing on a give-and-go, Matthews and William Nylander drew all of Tyler Myers, Marcus Pettersson, and Brock Boeser toward the right wall, opening the slot for Mattias Maccelli to score the easiest tap-in of his life. Poor Elias Pettersson (the forward) could do nothing but watch the play unfold.
1-0 Maple Leafs
Pettersson (Marcus) would get his vengeance against Matthews, drawing a hooking penalty against the Leafs’ leading goalscorer to give Vancouver a CRITICAL power play opportunity.
They wouldn’t register a scoring chance or a shot on goal.
Tragically, the Leafs took a second bench minor for too many men, giving the Canucks a third power play opportunity in the opening twenty minutes.
They may have recorded a shot on goal for that one. However, I may also have fallen asleep. Hard to say. The point is, the Canucks didn’t do anything with six minutes of 5-on-4 time available to them.
With less than four minutes to go in a revoltingly dull period of hockey, the Leafs doubled their lead.
Attempting a breakout, the Canucks were caught with Elias Pettersson (the defenceman) playing way too far up as the last man back.
A quick-up pass to Liam Ohgren went a little too hot to handle for the new kid on the block, rolling off to ex-Canuck Troy Stecher’s stick. Always an underrated player, Troy from Richmond relayed with a quick-up of his own to Max Domi, who waltzed down the left wing, beating Demko short side.
2-0 Maple Leafs
With three minutes left, Easton Cowan and Nils Höglander exchanged minor penalties, and then Elias Pettersson (the forward) drew a high-sticking penalty against Jake McCabe on the 4-on-4. The Canucks did exactly what you expected of them on a 4-on-3.
Boeser had a few good looks on the man advantage, but the period concluded with William Nylander scoring his 15th of the year off another Leafs’ breakaway.
3-0 Maple Leafs
Demko finished the period with a .500 save percentage, three goals on six shots. Kevin Lankinen started the second.
It was a great start for The Tank™, but an awful night for people who enjoy competently played hockey.
Second Period
With the Leafs on the power play and Lankinen starting cold, the next 40 minutes looked grim for the Canucks. Fortunately, the Leafs pulled a ‘Vancouver’ for their second power play of the game (no chances).
Seven minutes into the period, Boeser drew a high-sticking penalty against Morgan Reilly, giving Vancouver a fourth power play opportunity. Boeser whiffed on a one-timer opportunity, and then Toronto’s Scott Laughton drove up the middle on a shorthanded breakaway for an 89.1 mph wind-up clapper from point-blank range on Lankinen.
Laughton’s look was the best scoring chance of the Canucks’ man advantage. Evander Kane made an appearance in the dying seconds of the power play, rifling a weak wrist shot off a stick and out of play.
The Canucks’ breakout problems reared their head in the back half of the period, when John Tavares joined the club of “Leafs players gifted glorious, uncontested breakaway opportunities in the high slot off failed quick-up passes.”
4-0 Maple Leafs
The Leafs returned to cycling in the offensive zone, and Max Domi elected to throw fisticuffs with Pettersson (Marcus), despite the Leafs’ o-zone pressure hinting toward another goal. The Leafs’ head coach didn’t look too pleased at the waste of an o-zone push, while Toronto’s bench loved it.
After another 20 minutes, the Vancouver Canucks saw themselves down 4-zip on the scoreboard despite being up on the shot clock 23 to 18.
Third Period
Three minutes into the final frame, William Nylander whiffed on a tap-in into a wide-open net.
The refs made it interesting nearly midway through the period when they assessed Troy Stecher with a minor tripping penalty after Marcus Pettersson rolled his ankle while driving the puck around the o-zone boards.
Fortunately for Stecher, the Canucks did absolutely nothing with their power play opportunity, electing to get their cardio done instead. Sure, Elias Pettersson nearly broke the Leafs’ shutout with a shot off Jake DeBrusk’s skate that doinked off the post.
With seven minutes left in the period, Nicholas Robertson drew an interference penalty against Elias Pettersson (defenceman), because the game just needed more special teams to close out this completely uncompetitive contest.
Upon the game’s return to 5-on-5, Höglander set up Linus Karlsson with a pass for a backhander that rang off the crossbar. The chance was a breath of fresh air, because it was the first time in the game that any Canuck forward looked remotely quick or threatening.
In the final minute of the game, frustration got the better of Kiefer Sherwood, who needlessly shoved Brandon Carlo, gifting Toronto a late power play opportunity. They scored.
5-0 Maple Leafs
Again, Saturday night was a great game for The Tank™, but an atrocious game for people who like to spend their Saturdays consuming competently played ice hockey.
What’s your instant reaction to this game? Let us know in the comments section below!
Sponsored by bet365

Editorials

Breaking News