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Scenes from morning skate: Pettersson returns to regular deployment for Canucks vs. Stars
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Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Jeff Paterson
Mar 2, 2026, 15:10 ESTUpdated: Mar 2, 2026, 17:41 EST
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The Vancouver Canucks (18-34-7) look to snap a five-game winless skid when they host the Dallas Stars (36-14-9) at Rogers Arena. Faceoff is at 7 pm. 
This is a quick two-game homestand against two of the top three teams in the league, with the Carolina Hurricanes in town on Wednesday night.

What we saw

After being benched for much of the third period and taken off the power play in Saturday’s 5-1 loss in Seattle, Elias Pettersson was back between his usual linemates, Evander Kane and Jake DeBrusk, at today’s morning skate. The Canucks will roll out the same 18 skaters they have used in both of their games since the Olympic break. 
That means Tyler Myers, who took part in the morning skate, will sit out a third straight game for trade-related reasons. The veteran defenceman declined requests to speak to the media about his situation.
Nikita Tolopilo gets the start in goal tonight. He made 25 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night.
The Canucks have been held to two goals or fewer in eight straight games (15 goals total). Nils Höglander has gone 23 games without a goal dating back to last season. Conor Garland has gone 21 games without a goal. David Kämpf has not scored in 18. Elias Pettersson’s drought has now reached 13 games. Jake DeBrusk has one goal in his last 16 games, while Linus Karlsson has one goal in his last 19.
Over the past 12 games, Teddy Blueger and Drew O’Connor have four apiece, and Evander Kane’s three are the only Canucks to score more than two goals.
On top of that, the team’s power play has not converted in the past six games and is just one for 24 (4.2%) over its last dozen outings.

The Opponent

This is how the Stars lined up for their last game.
The Stars arrive in town as the hottest team in hockey. They have won eight straight games and nine of their last 10. They are coming off a 3-2 overtime victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Jason Robertson scored his team-leading 33rd goal of the season to seal the victory. Earlier, Wyatt Johnston scored his 32nd goal on a Dallas power play. Johnston leads the NHL with 20 power play markers – five more than anyone else in the league. He is a huge reason why Dallas has the second-best power play in the league at 30.1%.
The Stars are rolling despite missing leading scorer Mikko Rantanen, who was injured at the Olympics. Veteran Matt Duchene is picking up the slack and leads the Stars with seven goals and 11 points during the team’s eight-game win streak. Another victory tonight will establish the longest winning streak in franchise history.
Dallas has a pair of defencemen on five-game point streaks. Miro Heiskanen has 0+7 over the past five games, while Thomas Harley has registered 2+4 over that span.
Seven of the Stars’ eight wins on this current streak have been by just one goal. On the season, Dallas is 20-4-9 in games decided by a single goal.
Defensively, Dallas is third in the league, allowing an average of just 2.71 goals against per game. 
The Stars are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the most road points this season. They are 18-7-6 away from the Lone Star State.

News and notes

Despite the difference in standings points, the Canucks and Stars have split their two meetings so far this season. Vancouver was a 5-3 winner in Dallas on October 16th, while the Stars picked up a 4-2 victory at Rogers Arena on November 20th.
The Canucks are celebrating black excellence at tonight’s game and, accordingly, will wear their black skate jersey. The team is 3-9-1 in its alternate uniform this season.
The referees for tonight’s game are Trevor Hanson and Graedy Hamilton.

What we heard

Adam Foote on facing the Stars tonight: “We have to be sharp. As you know, they’re hot – even with some guys out. They’re deep, they’ve got good goaltending and they’re playing good hockey right now. So we’re going to have to be sharp on what we’re supposed to do.”
Elias Pettersson on the two-year anniversary of signing his $92.6M contract extension: “I haven’t lived up to expectations for the contract and I’ll be the first to say it. Obviously I wish I would be different. I wish I would play better and have a lot more points, but it is what it is. I’m trying to play a good game tonight and see what happens.”
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