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Instant Reaction: Pettersson notches two points to reach 500 in Canucks’ loss to Ducks
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Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
David Quadrelli
Mar 25, 2026, 00:37 EDT
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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

Kevin Lankinen had to be sharp right away, as he faced a breakaway attempt in the first 30 seconds of the game. In the chaos, Elias Pettersson took a holding penalty, giving the Ducks an early power play. The Canucks managed to kill that one off without much issue, and it wouldn’t be long until they got a power play opportunity of their own, as Beckett Sennecke was called for holding onto Max Sasson.
On the ensuing power play, the Canucks snapped the puck around with speed and precision, and it was Elias Pettersson who fed Jake DeBrusk down low before DeBrusk faked like he was going to pass into the slot before sweeping the puck past Lukas Dostal.
1-0 Canucks. 
Elias Pettersson picked up point number 499 on that goal.
To this point of the game, there were plenty of end-to-end rushes, and it had a good overall pace to it. Really, it’s exactly what you want to see when the young Ducks come to town.
There were plenty of stretch passes up the ice from both teams, and all in all, it was a good opening 20 from an entertainment perspective.
Some takeaways from the first:
-The Canucks young D had some chances to show off their stuff, and both Tom Willander and Zeev Buium had some noticeable moments that led to scoring chances.
-Kevin Lankinen looked sharp, and he has been a lot better lately. Hopefully that continues.
-Zeev Buium continues to play some of the best hockey we’ve seen from him since joining the Canucks.

Second Period

The Canucks came into the second period with a noticeable jump in their step, and after just three minutes of play in the frame, the Ducks were besting the Canucks 6-0 in shot attempts.
The Ducks kept coming, and eventually, took advantage of a Canucks defensive zone breakdown that allowed Alex Killorn to walk right in on Lankinen and backhand one over the Vancouver netminder’s shoulder.
1-1.
All of a sudden, there were breakdowns happening all over the ice for the Canucks, and Kevin Lankinen was needing to make some five-alarm saves. Just over two minutes after the Killorn goal, the Ducks scored another, this time it Mikael Granlund, who pounced on a puck that Lankinen had sent high in the air when he stopped a low shot with his stick.
2-1 Ducks. 
The Canucks were seriously on their heels, but had a great chance to swing the momentum in their favour when Jackson LaCombe was called for tripping up Elias Pettersson just before the halfway mark of the period.
The Canucks’ power play, which was already 1-for-1 on the night, once again managed to get set up and move the puck around, but Lukas Dostal was up to the task as both units got a shot off on him, but couldn’t beat him.
They didn’t have to wait long for their next power play opportunity though, as just a few minutes later, Dostal inadvertently shot the puck over the glass, putting the Canucks right back to the man advantage.
And this time, they scored.
It’s hard to describe how good Marco Rossi has looked as the left side distributor, a spot JT Miller held and performed admirably well in for most of his Canucks tenure. His playmaking ability from that spot was vital in opening up the Ducks’ PKers on this goal, and although he didn’t get an assist on the play, make no mistake about it: He was instrumental in this goal. In the end, it’ll go down as Pettersson to Hronek to Boeser, who let go of a rocket of a wrist shot to tie this game up.
That’s Elias Pettersson’s 500th point as well. 2-2.
After the power play, Teddy Blueger stripped Jackson LaCombe at the Anaheim blue line and sent big Curtis Douglas in all alone down low on Dostal, but he couldn’t bury his opportunity. Nonetheless, it was just fun to watch the big man work.
When a coach says “we let them back in the game” after a loss, this is exactly what they mean. Anaheim came out with a purpose in the second, and was in the driver’s seat and then took two penalties to quite literally let the Canucks back in this game.
Curtis Douglas took a bad offensive zone penalty when he dove in for a loose puck and took out Pavel Mintyukov’s skates in the process. That put the Canucks shorthanded with a touch over one minute left in the period. Then Elias Junior Pettersson did his best Lukas Dostal impression and put the puck over the glass. The good news was the Ducks’ 5-on-3 opportunity was interrupted by the intermission…

Third Period

The Ducks had 53 seconds of 5-on-3 time left to work with to kick off the period, and the trio of Marcus Pettersson, Filip Hronek, and Elias Pettersson did a phenomenal job of killing off one of the penalties… Unfortunately, after Curtis Douglas’s penalty ended, the Ducks managed to convert one of their chances.
3-2 Ducks.
Just a minute later, the Pettersson line hopped over the boards and tied things up. Evander Kane let go of a shot off the rush that led to a juicy rebound for Drew O’Connor, and Doc made no mistake in burying his chance:
3-3.
Kevin Lankinen made a phenomenal save off a Cutter Gauthier breakaway attempt, but the Ducks kept coming. Mason McTavish led a rush chance up the ice, dished off to LaCombe, who turned his body and neatly left the puck off for McTavish to follow up on, and McTavish made no mistake.
4-3 Ducks.
Brock Boeser angled a beautiful pass from along the boards to Liam Öhgren, who couldn’t beat Dostal on his breakaway chance. That was the Canucks’ best chance for most of the third as they pressed to tie this game up once again.
The Canucks pulled Lankinen late, but it wasn’t enough.
5-3 Ducks final.
What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below!

PRESENTED BY STAKE

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