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Instant Reaction: Tom Willander records first multi-point game as Canucks beat Ducks 5-4
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Photo credit: © William Liang-Imagn Images
David Quadrelli
Nov 27, 2025, 00:38 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!

Lineup

First Period

The Ducks were all over the Canucks early in this one. There were defensive breakdowns all over the ice, and Nikita Tolopilo had to be sharp early. So naturally, the Canucks scored the first goal of the game.
Fresh back into the lineup, Arshdeep Bains made a great play in the offensive end to get the puck back to Marcus Pettersson, whose shot went wide but took a favourable bounce off the boards, and Linus Karlsson was ready to open the scoring in this one:
1-0 Canucks. 
Shortly after the goal, the Canucks got their second power play of the period. This was almost a disaster, as the Ducks’ penalty killers somehow ended up with an odd-man rush. Troy Terry hit the post, and the Ducks’ next attempt went wide of the goal. After that, the Canucks’ second PP unit jumped over the boards, and they were the ones to push the lead to two.
Evander Kane won the faceoff back, Filip Hronek bumped the puck to Tom Willander, who got the puck back to Kane, who leaned into a wrist shot and ripped the puck home.
2-0 Canucks. 
The Canucks took the game’s next penalty, and Anaheim started to pour on some pressure late. This led to some high-flying action to close out the first period, and the first period ended with over six minutes without a whistle. Unfortunately, the whistle that ended that stretch was for an Evander Kane cross-checking penalty.
Some takeaways from the first:
-That first goal looked straight out of the 2025 Calder Cup Final.
-Some sharp saves from Nikita Tolopilo in that opening frame.
-Don’t let Linus Karlsson get hot… three goals in his last five games. Four on the season.

Second Period

The Ducks’ power play continued into the second, and Jackson LaCombe brought the Ducks within one almost immediately.
2-1 Canucks.
The frantic pace to this game continued into the second period, and Tolopilo continued to be sharp. The Canucks scored their third goal on just their ninth shot of the game after Brock Boeser set up Conor Garland, who scored one of the nicer goals we’ve seen this season:
3-1 Canucks.
The Ducks got a power play with just over five minutes remaining in the second, the Ducks got another power play opportunity. They scored, but just as the penalty expired, so it didn’t count as a blemish on the Canucks’ PK.
3-2. 
The Ducks brought this game back to a tie after Elias Junior Pettersson got caught too deep in the offensive end, leaving Tyler Myers left to defend a 2-on-1 all alone. Mason McTavish made no mistake on his attempt, ripping his shot past Tolopilo.
3-3. 
Some takeaways from the second:
-The Garland-Kampf-Boeser trio was the Canucks’ best early in this game, so it was fitting that they were rewarded with a goal.
-Boeser had a lot of chances to score through two periods. Seemed a bit snakebitten.
-First multi-point game of Tom Willander’s career. Nice!
-The Ducks are so much fun to watch. Just all gas, no brakes. Combine that with the Canucks’ aggressive style and general dysfunction when defending in their own end, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a fun game. Which is what this was through 40 minutes.

Third Period

The Ducks began the third with their fourth power play of the game, and the Canucks killed it off. Then it was the Canucks’ turn to work on the power play, but that was cut short thanks to an Elias Pettersson goalie interference penalty. After 55 seconds of 4-on-4 time, the Ducks went to their fifth power play, although it was an abbreviated one.
Kiefer Sherwood had the best chance of the next minute, as he moved in on a 2-on-0 breakaway and hit the post behind Mrazek.
There was a downright crazy sequence just past the halfway mark of the third. With the game still tied, Quinn Hughes made a phenomenal read to pick off the Ducks’ breakout attempt, and set up Jake DeBrusk for a prime scoring opportunity. Mrazek flashed the leather and made a great save, and after Drew O’Connor was stripped of the puck at the blue line, Anaheim went back the other way with a breakaway opportunity. Tolopilo made one of his best saves of the night — not only stopping the first attempt, but also coralling the loose puck in front of him and sweeping it to his glove.
After Drew O’Connor won a faceoff, it appeared that Kiefer Sherwood scored his 13th goal of the season to give the Canucks the lead, but it was credited to Max Sasson, who scored his fifth goal of the season.
4-3 Canucks late.
With two minutes left, the Ducks pulled their goalie, and immediately got scored on, as Drew O’Connor made this one 5-3. Elias Pettersson set up the goal and earned an assist, tying Pavel Bure for seventh on the Canucks’ all-time scoring leaderboard.
The Ducks pulled their goalie again, and pulled within one.
Some takeaways from the third:
-A relatively quiet night for EP40, but he got the assist, and his steady defensive game was instrumental in the Canucks closing this one out.
-Filip Hronek continues to be an absolute stud for this team.
-37 saves for Tolopilo. Nicely done.
What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below!

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