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Instant Reaction: Canucks cut down Sharks’ playoff hopes with 4-3 shootout win
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Photo credit: © Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Lachlan Irvine
Apr 12, 2026, 01:14 EDTUpdated: Apr 12, 2026, 01:17 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

The Sharks aren’t a great team, but they’re certainly exciting to watch. And they peppered Kevin Lankinen with chances in the first period. The biggest of which was a breakaway by local kid Macklin Celebrini that Lankinen read well.
The real highlight of the period was Tom Willander accidentally ripping Yaroslav Askarov’s pad clean off when he clipped the goalie.
https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/2043157155826536808?s=20
I’m just saying, back in my day, pads had a combo of buckles and velcro for a reason.
The Sharks finally found the back of the net in the latter half of the first period, thanks to both Fil Hronek and Zeev Buium jumping into the faceoff dot for the puck, leaving Igor Chernyshov all the time to walk to the net and tuck the puck behind Lankinen.
1-0 Sharks.
Some first period thoughts:
  • Say what you will about Kevin Lankinen, but he’s putting the work in tonight. This Sharks team isn’t short on great shooters, and he’s handling it well so far.
  • Give Victor Mancini some more ice time. Why not at this point in the year?

Second Period

The Sharks might’ve taken this game over, had Yaroslav Askarov not made the ultimate gaffe when he tried to chase a clearing attempt behind the net, only for it to immediately ricochet back in front and turn into a gift for Marco Rossi.
1-1 tie.
But the Sharks responded quickly, with Sam Dickinson entering the zone and dropping a pass to… former Canuck Tyler Toffoli. He remains a Vancouver killer.
2-1 Sharks.
But in the last few minutes of the second, with Dmitry Orlov in the box for a trip on Drew O’Connor, the Canucks power play came to life. After a couple of failed clearing attempts from the Sharks’ PK, Hronek floated a puck on net that Askarov didn’t field cleanly, and Jake DeBrusk was there to clean up the rebound. A coach’s challenge for goalie interference was unsuccessful, and the Canucks had tied the game again.
2-2 tie.
Some second period thoughts:
  • DeBrusk got back to a 20-goal season seemingly out of nowhere. Yes it was largely thanks to the power play, but good for him regardless!
  • Yaroslav Askarov concerns me, if I were a Sharks fan. He loses track of the puck a lot and turns routine saves into fire drills far more often than I’d like to see from an NHL goalie. If they’re serious about making the playoffs and contending next year, I might consider trading the farm for a big-name goalie.

Third Period

The Sharks and Canucks traded chances back and forth for the majority of the third period. But eventually, the Sharks’ top line connected.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one, but Macklin Celebrini passed to Igor Chernyshov, and it wound up in the Canucks’ net immediately.
3-2 Sharks.
With time running out, the Canucks caught a break. After Vinny Desharnais (remember him?) tripped Nils Höglander, the Canucks sent out a “why not” power play unit. And Teddy Blueger somehow found a lane in front of a sea of Sharks defenders.
3-3 tie.
Looks like we’re heading to overtime!

Overtime and Shootout

Overtime started out slowly, but got REALLY good by the end.
First Jake DeBrusk tripped Alex Wennberg and put the Sharks on the power play. The San Jose power play absolutely swarmed the net, but Lankinen and the Canucks penalty killers juuuuuust held on with some great saves and well timed diving blocks. Then Fil Hronek negated their final chances by goading William Eklund into an ill-timed interference call. Shootout time!
The first two shooters (one of which was Hronek?) missed. Then Macklin Celebrini became the first shooter to score on Kevin Lankinen all season. Takes someone special to get it done.
Then Jake DeBrusk went up and flipped a puck over Askarov’s attempt at a diving poke check to tie the score. After his goal, eight shooters went up. All missed except one: Linus Karlsson.
4-3 Canucks win in a shootout!
The Canucks successfully kept Kevin Lankinen’s stellar shootout record intact and seemingly ended the Sharks’ playoff hopes in one fell swoop. I’d call that a pretty good night at the rink!
What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below!

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