logo
CanucksArmy has no direct affiliation to the Vancouver Canucks, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
The Stanchies: Brock Boeser scores game-winning goal in Canucks’ win over Blue Jackets
alt
Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Lachlan Irvine
Nov 9, 2025, 11:14 ESTUpdated: Nov 9, 2025, 11:52 EST
Comments
When the buzzer sounded at Rogers Arena on Saturday night, and the Vancouver Canucks poured off the bench to congratulate Kevin Lankinen on their 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, that pressurized air you saw lifting over the arena was relief.
These Canucks have been put through the ringer over the past week, from losing dismally to the Chicago Blackhawks, to Thatcher Demko mysteriously taking last minute maintenance and missing this game, to questions being asked all over town about whether or not it’s time for a true rebuild (again).
This team, at the start of crucial crossroads, met that pressure head on when it mattered and walked away victorious.
The Blue Jackets – and the referees, for that matter – gave the Canucks everything they could handle. The speed and skill of Columbus’ top line were a handful every time they stepped on the ice, but the Canucks’ most important players rose to the occasion. Quinn Hughes looked a lot more like Quinn Hughes than he had in recent outings. Drew O’Connor and Jake DeBrusk made the most of their ice time together and posted some much-needed points on the board. And at a time where the Canucks needed his shooting most, Brock Boeser found the game winner in the final five minutes of play.
This game won’t settle the noise entirely. The Canucks still looked a mess for the first half of the game, and even wasted a prime five-minute major in the second period. And the next opponent they face is coming off a 9-1 thrashing of the Edmonton Oilers. But, for at least one night, Canucks fans can exhale and enjoy a rare regulation home win.
This game was all the best and worst of the Canucks season combined into one game, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Or at least, not if Canucks management has anything to say about it. And boy did they.
Time to make some GIF money.
Best back to basics

Quinn Hughes looks a level above everyone early in this one. #Canucks

— Noah Strang (@noahstrang.bsky.social) 2025-11-09T03:18:22.119Z

Quinn Hughes hasn’t been entirely himself of late.
His magic has been stifled a fair bit by teams isolating him and forcing him to hand the puck off more often to teammates. The goal tonight was to keep the Jackets from swarming. And he did just that.
It didn’t take long for the captain to find himself again. Hughes found a way to open up space in the corner right away, freeing up room for Aatu Räty waiting at the hashmarks for a one timer.
That’s the Quinn Hughes that makes a difference.
Best Red Flags
To say the Canucks penalty kill has been a proverbial black hole where all joy is silenced for eternity might be an understatement. Tonight was their opportunity to prove that wasn’t the case, but when Lukas Reichel took the first penalty of the game after hooking Luca Del Bel Belluz (incredible name, by the way) it didn’t start out looking so hot.
The book on the Canucks’ PK is to carry the puck from the corner to the net and try to find a backdoor pass. Kent Johnson was paying attention in the morning meetings, and nearly lifted the puck behind Kevin Lankinen. But Lank held his ground and managed to roll the puck down his shoulder blades like he was doing a basketball trick.
The kid from Port Moody would get another opportunity to open the scoring on the same power play, but he clanged the puck off the iron.
Best here we go again
You’d think killing off a penalty would spur some momentum for the team to do it right? WRONG!!
Instead the Blue Jackets immediately ramped up the pressure like Mentos in a two-litre of Coke. Luckily for the Canucks, Kevin Lankinen was there to make sure it fizzled out. This Adam Fantilli shot was far and away the closest Columbus came to opening the scoring in the first, but Lankinen read Kent Johnson’s pass all the way.
Then less than a minute later, with his teammates running around like chickens with their heads cut off and a giveaway finding its way onto the stick of Zach Werenski in the slot, Kevin slammed the door shut.
It’s hard to imagine any player needed a big game as badly as Lankinen did, coming off a loss to Chicago and Thatcher Demko being out of the lineup for at least a game and a practice. His response in the early going was that of a guy who puts his hand on your shoulder, looks you in the eye and says, “hey… I got this,” with a smile.
The same couldn’t be said for his teammates until much later.
Best horseshoes and hand grenades
Despite the Jackets dominating the pace of the play in the first, the Canucks very nearly made it out of the period with the lead. Lukas Reichel very nearly had his first goal as a Canuck, when Jake DeBrusk’s shot on a 2-on-1 with seconds left was kicked right out into the slot by Elvis Merzlikins.
But if there’s one thing we’ve learned in his short tenure in green and blue, finishing isn’t exactly Reichel’s strong suit. And this time his shot hit the Blue Jackets defender standing in front of him before harmlessly fluttering over the net.
Some day you’ll get that bounce, Lukas. But not today.
Best one time’s by chance
Here’s a hit Max Sasson took in the second period from Jake Christiansen where no penalty was called.
It was a hit to the numbers, dangerously close to the boards and knocked Sasson’s helmet off. Surely this wouldn’t become a habit for the Blue Jackets.
Best scratch that, reverse it

Finally!! 🚨 TY DeBrusk 💙 👏 #Canucks draw 1st blood #CBJ

— CZ 🇨🇦 💙 🇺🇦 (@choiceznewz.bsky.social) 2025-11-09T04:15:03.461Z

On Wednesday against the Blackhawks, the Canucks dominated the game before Chicago pulled away against the run of play in the third period.
On Saturday, the Canucks gave the Blue Jackets the same medicine they’d been served, and it tasted just as awful to Columbus.
Aatu Räty chases a puck into the neutral zone and immediately drops it to Drew O’Connor, who’s been finding all his confidence at once. Run-DOC spots DeBrusk streaking through the middle of the ice and mails the puck in his direction. DeBrusk corrals it, draws Merzlikins to the left before flipping the puck over his right side against the grain. 1-0 good guys.
For a trio of players who the Canucks have been needing more scoring contributions from, it all perfectly came together for the third line at once. That’s what you love to see!
Best crash out

Boeser didn't pick up Marchenko there. Great zone entry by CBJ. Canucks were just standing still in comparison

— Patrick Johnston 🇨🇦 (@risingaction.bsky.social) 2025-11-09T04:17:35.363Z

That lead from the DeBrusk goal did not last long.
The Blue Jackets’ first line of Adam Fantilli, Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko  jumped over the boards a minute after the Canucks opened the scoring and used their speed to quickly inflict pain.
Both wingers get behind three Canucks after the long change, and Fantilli races to catch up with them and work as a decoy for Marcus Pettersson and Tyler Myers to deal with. Amidst the confusion Brock Boeser, the first forward back, doesn’t notice Marchenko sneaking to the net, and Tyler Myers forgets where the goal net is usually pegged.
As Lankinen makes the initial toe save, Myers bowls the net off the moorings as Marchenko shoots the rebound past the Chaos Giraffe’s legs.
It must be nice to have a first line that speed past defenders and seemingly score at will.
Best twice is a coincidence
This is when Mathieu Olivier decided this game was missing something. It was missing another egregiously reckless hit to the numbers of DePetey along the boards that left the young defender shaken and in need for assistance from the trainer.
This time, the refs got the call correctly and threw this dummy right out of the game with a misconduct. DePetey left for the locker room as well, but thankfully returned to finish the contest.
Best painful watch
This Canucks five minute power play was nearly the death of me and everyone else watching. With the opportunity to avenge a teammate done in by a dirty hit, the Canucks’ power play looked completely messy and disorganized for the entirety of it.
No play encapsulated how infuriating the power play was better than Hughes finding Elias Pettersson home free at the blue line, but Dante Fabbro getting there to knock the puck off EP40’s stick.
Petey, buddy, not to sound too much like an overzealous hockey parent, but YOU gotta SHOOOOOT.
Best ‘Never been more Joever’
The way this goal played out, right off the heels of such a disappointing power play, it really felt like we might calling a time of death on the Canucks’ season already.
Energized by the success of their penalty kill, the Columbus first line got to work again off a quick up pass from Werenski. Fantilli tried to set up Marchenko, but the puck got lost in the maze of skates in front of Lankinen before, unbeknownst to the tendy, dribbling right into the blue paint.
The first person to figure out where the puck was sitting was Voronkov, who simply had to tap it through the wickets.
At this point the writing seems on the wall. Maybe if you leave during the intermission you can beat the traffic.
Best perfect timing
That’s when Drew O’Connor said “not so fast.” Well, okay, he didn’t say it with words, but with his actions.
The Canucks mount some pressure in the final minutes of the second period, with Hughes and Hronek running the Jackets’ defenders ragged between passes and wheeling. As Hughes finds a shooting lane he likes with traffic at the net, notice O’Connor cross-check Dante Fabbro to the ice without the refs seeing.
The low Hughes shot is stopped by Merzlikins, but with absolutely no defender prepared to take the rebound from him, Run-DOC resets and roofs the puck over Elvis’ shoulder and under the bar. Tie game.
Fabbro, with feelings hurt from the check and no wah-mbulance in sight, pushes his stick right into O’Connor’s legs as he celebrates, DeBrusk returns serve standing behind Fabbro, and a brouhaha ensues.
The refs, in their infinite wisdom, decide that DeBrusk is just as guilty as Fabbro for starting trouble and sends both players to the box. Run-DOC gets off scot free with his third goal of the season and a multi-point night in the books. Not a bad day’s work.
Best terrible reffing
The awful officiating in this game was far from over. It showed up on centre stage in the dying seconds of the middle frame, when a loose puck bounces out to centre ice and Quinn Hughes has a bead on it.
Ivan Provorov, the last Blue Jacket back, swings into action and blatantly hooks Hughes so he can’t get a last second chance. The refs must’ve either misplaced their whistles or been distracted by a bird flying around, because no arm went up for a penalty.
Now I’m no penalty expert, having only taken three in my lifetime, but this seems like the most obvious hook ever to be seen by mankind. But Elias Pettersson seemed to agree with me, as did Adam Foote, and as did the entire Canucks bench.
But hey, who are we to question the mighty Kendrick Nicholson and Jordan Samuels-Thomas’ decisions?
Best puck knowers
Best getting it
Listen, I know it’s silly that we basically do an autopsy of Elias Pettersson every night. But it’s only because he always shows those flashes of his old self every game!
Right away to kick off the third period, he took the shot he missed in the second period, letting a shot go right off a Conor Garland pass across.
The shot didn’t hit the net, but it also doesn’t if you don’t shoot it. This will only get easier with time (and volume).
Best Chaos Giraffe Giveth
This is where we get to arguably the best team effort goal of the entire Canucks’ season. It took great plays from multiple players to end up on Corolla Garland’s stick.
First, Evander Kane won a puck battle behind the Blue Jackets net to take possession, then Tom Willander held the line on an attempted clearing attempt. When Columbus attempted to breakout after some pressure in their zone, Hughes hustled to break it up and keep the puck in the Jackets’ zone.
When EP40 got the puck, he drew Provorov towards him long enough for the Chaos Giraffe to find some open space and Pettersson to drop the puck for him along the boards.
That’s when Myers went full Bobby Orr, dekeing out Adam Fantilli and the screening players in front of the net to get a backhander away. Merzlikins makes the initial save, but Garland is right on the doorstep to give the Canucks the lead and send Rogers Arena into a frenzy.
All of a sudden, momentum is FIRMLY on the Canucks’ side. And it’s been a long time coming.
Best three times is a pattern
No, you’re eyes aren’t playing tricks. This is a third instance of a Columbus player hitting a Canucks recklessly close to the boards. And Miles Wood goes the extra yard to add in an elbow into Tyler Myers’ head as he does it.
Once again, the refs see no issue, but the hockey gods are watching.
Best KEVIN!
Just when fans were getting comfortable with the potential of an extended run of Kevin Lankinen, a funky one beats him.
Make no mistake, this is a great shot by Marchenko for his second goal of the game. The Blue Jackets were carried by their first line tonight between him, Voronkov and Fantilli. But from that distance away, Lankinen needs to read that shot a little cleaner. Instead, he overslides and the puck gets under his arm.
Looks like we need a new hero.
Best MY CLIIIIENT
The hockey gods had time for one last great story line. That’s why on Saturday night, on Hockey Fights Cancer night, the winning goal had to be Brock Boeser’s.
Boeser’s come a long way from the player who was nearly benched for this game three seasons ago. From the player who, back in June, wasn’t even supposed to be a Vancouver Canuck long enough to play in this game.
And yet here he was, taking a lead pass from Kiefer Sherwood (his first assist of the season, by the way) for a break and rifling a shot that handcuffed Elvis and dribbled into the net.
If that’s not a feel good story, I don’t know what is.
Best Understanding the assignment
Best laying it on the line
Say what you will about EP40’s scoring ability right now. But when it comes to protecting a one-goal lead and a rare regulation win, Elias Pettersson will put his body on the line for two points.
With the Blue Jackets net empty and Columbus swarming, Petey blocks not one, but two late shots at close range to preserve the 4-3 win.
Tonight the sum of Pettersson’s parts were enough. He won half his faceoffs, picked up a key assist and jumped in front of some Blue Jackets blasts in his own end. His teammates certainly appreciated the efforts.
Best summary of the night
I’d probably add a thumbs down for whatever that Patrik Allvin interview on After Hours was, but that’s still a 3-2 result for thumbs up!
Best Entertainment
Patrik Allvin’s interview with Scott Oake is already an interview within itself, but I did want to contribute with some food for thought.
Scott Oake’s best question of the night was asking Allvin about the teams like the Ducks, Blackhawks, and Sharks, all of which initiated full teardown rebuilds in recent years and are currently in front of the Canucks in the standings.
Allvin’s response was less than ideal.
“Yeah, I mean, they were probably in a different process than the Canucks were. But I think again, when you have players like Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson, and Demko, there is no guarantee you’re going to find them in the draft again. Our scouts have done a really good job finding guys outside the first round. And I think that’s [what’s] going to set you up to be successful as you move forward.”
In the eleven years since Mike Gillis was fired and two different general managers have been at the helm, the Canucks have made the playoffs three times and drafted no earlier than fifth overall.
Out of all the teams to win the Stanley Cup in the last 50 years, do you know how many have done so without either a Top 3 draft pick or Wayne Gretzky on the roster?
The answer is two. Those teams were the 1989 Calgary Flames and the 2001 Colorado Avalanche, who were largely built with pieces accumulated from the three first overall picks and rebuilding efforts of the Quebec Nordiques.
In other words, no NHL team in the entire salary cap era has won a championship without at least one player drafted first, second or third overall. The Canucks can argue that they know better than half a century of hockey history telling them otherwise, but we won’t fall for that.
The Canucks are missing an incredibly key piece. And the only way to get it is by making the ultimate sacrifice.
Best Bright Future
Looks like that extra bit of time with the big club is paying off for Braeden Cootes in junior. It won’t be long before he’s back for good.

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS

Take $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200+ using promo code CANUCKSARMY (new customers only, $200 USD minimum before taxes & fees)

Editorials

Breaking News