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Instant Reaction: Home woes continue as Canucks fall 6-3 to Sharks
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Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
David Quadrelli
Dec 28, 2025, 00:42 ESTUpdated: Dec 28, 2025, 00:43 EST
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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

To start this game, the Canucks were skating off their turkey legs, while the Sharks looked like a team that came ready to play. San Jose was all over the Canucks early on, and eventually, that turned into a goal. It was a weird one, admittedly, and I was surprised the Canucks didn’t challenge it for goaltender interference, as it sure looked to me like Ryan Reaves banged at Demko’s blocker, and that that was what caused the puck to cross the line. The Canucks chose not to challenge, and the goal stood.
1-0 Sharks.
Less than two minutes later, San Jose scored again. After Elias Pettersson lost a faceoff to Macklin Celebrini, John Klingberg wristed a puck from the point that ate Thatcher Demko up, as the fairly innocuous-looking shot slid under his pad.
2-0 Sharks.
The Rogers Arena crowd seemed almost stunned by the Sharks’ pair of quick goals. Thankfully, the home team would get the game’s first power play halfway through the first, with a prime opportunity to tie this game up.
After the first unit looked a bit lifeless, the coaching staff didn’t hesitate to send the second power play unit over the boards, and that unit made good on their chance. Conor Garland danced along the half-wall before firing a perfect hard pass into the crease, where Linus Karlsson was waiting to bang the puck past Yaroslav Askarov.
2-1. 
Some takeaways from the first:
-I know Christmas was just here, and that it’s been a while since we’ve done this, but Linus Karlsson’s last five games: three goals, two assists.

Second Period

The second period was incredibly scrambly, with the Sharks once again having the lion’s share of pressure and chances. One common theme in the second was the Sharks being the first to loose pucks, in particular ones around the Canucks’ goal crease. That continued, and with just over seven minutes remaining in the period, that came back to bite the Canucks.
3-1 Sharks.
Zeev Buium used his legs to cause Ty Dellandrea to hook him, giving the Canucks’ power play another chance to pull back within a goal. Unfortunately, Evander Kane took an offensive zone hooking penalty in an effort to get the puck back, so the two teams played at 4-on-4 for most of the next two minutes.
Some takeaways:
-This game was getting unwatchable in a hurry.
-I wonder what Nils Höglander and Aatu Räty were up to tonight.
-David Kampf 2-on-1 with Brock Boeser annnndddd it’s gone.

Third Period

Heading into the third, the Canucks juggled their lines, beginning with a trio of Garland-Rossi-Boeser. Garland turned in more strong work to hold onto the puck until a scoring chance became available, and once again, his puck work ended in a Canucks goal. This time, it was Marco Rossi, who struck quick and put the puck behind Askarov.
3-2.
Tyler Myers took another penalty shortly after the goal, putting the Sharks back on the power play. Just over a minute into that chance, Marcus Pettersson was called for slashing, giving San Jose a 5-on-3 man advantage. They killed off the first one, but before the second penalty expired, old friend Adam Gaudette took advantage of the Canucks leaving the middle of the ice open, and the Sharks regained a two-goal lead.
4-2. 
I love a good hot mic. After this goal, the microphones picked up Conor Garland saying “lot of hockey left Adam, lot of hockey left, we’ll see” to old teammate Adam Gaudette after the 4-2 goal that Gaudette assisted on. For the thousandth time, give me a channel with viewer discretion advised with microphones close to the playing surface. For every sport, not just hockey. Here’s the hot mic:
The power plays kept coming, and it was the Canucks who were next. They quickly lost that chance, though, as Zeev Buium turned over the puck and took a slashing penalty on the ensuing breakaway chance against. With the Sharks on the power play, however, the Canucks found themselves on an odd-man rush, as Drew O’Connor broke in with Conor Garland and ripped the puck past Askarov to pull the Canucks within one.
4-3. 
And almost right after this goal, Conor Garland drew a penalty, giving the Canucks another power play opportunity… The Canucks came oh-so-close, as they whipped the puck around neatly in the final half of the power play and Brock Boeser served as the triggerman. He was absolutely robbed by Askarov, however, and the Canucks continued to trail by a goal.
Macklin Celebrini was all over the ice in this game, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to know that he finally ripped one past Demko to make it 5-3. 
The Canucks pulled their goalie and immediately gave up an empty netter. 6-3. 
The better team won this game.
Some takeaways from the third:
-It didn’t burn them, but the Canucks electing to go with Brock Boeser to defend a 5-on-3 seems like a wild idea.
-Great game for Conor Garland. And not just for a hot mic catching him chirping Ryan Reaves about his low ice time. He was noticeable all over the ice, and good things were happening for him all night long.
-The rebuild is not over after all!
-Canucks’ home record this season: 4-11-1.
What’s your instant reaction to this game? Let us know in the comments section below!
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