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The Stanchies: Linus Karlsson’s legacy game and Canucks’ best efforts not enough to beat the Mammoth
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Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Lachlan Irvine
Dec 6, 2025, 11:57 EST
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The best part about being last overall in the National Hockey League is that there’s nowhere to go but up.
That’s the situation facing the Vancouver Canucks, as the owners of the league’s lowest amount of points and worst winning percentage, as Drancer would want me to point out.
On Friday night, the Canucks set out to make a statement. And they did just that in their 4-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth, though it definitely wasn’t the one they wanted to. They played one of their best games of the year – a rare night where they completely dominated in the shot department and the possession metrics – and it still resulted in only one goal and a convincing defeat.
It’s one thing to lose games that you stink in. Every team does that. But when you start to lose the games where you play your absolute best, that’s the true hallmark of a last-placed hockey team. And with every passing night that an opponent beats them without their strongest effort, the Canucks further cement why they belong in the league’s basement.
It also tells you why being dead last doesn’t have to be a chore, or even a terrible outcome. There was plenty to like from this game, loss or not. Linus Karlsson gave the top line a serious boost, especially in the early stages. Quinn Hughes looked more like his usual nimble-footed self. Arshdeep Bains FINALLY got a puck in the net. And Kevin Lankinen had a solid effort, even if Karel Vejmelka inevitably stole the show.
Now let’s pay the bills shall we?
Best First Line Upgrade
Adam Foote had a dilemma before today’s game. His favourite ice time muncher was unavailable, and someone had to fill the void.
That person was Linus Karlsson, and he was a massive upgrade on his predecessor.
Within his first couple shifts next to Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk, he had already created a grade-A scoring chance for EP40 in front of the net that Karel Vejmelka barely got his leg on.
Then a few seconds later, as Quinn Hughes made a mad dash to the circles, Karlsson was in the perfect spot for a pass in the slot.
He didn’t score, but he came closer to finishing than any other winger has in ages.
Best World Class Journalism

Boeser has won two straight faceoffs clean fyi…#Canucks

— Jackson604 (@jackson604.bsky.social) 2025-12-06T02:21:42.128Z

Maybe Tyson was onto something.
Best Impressions
This wouldn’t have counted as a goal due to the goalie interference from Dylan Guenther, but Kevin Lankinen made a kick save on rookie Daniil But straight out of Kirk McLean’s mixtape. And when Logan Cooley picked up the rebound, he channelled his inner Emerance Maschmeyer.
For all the stops Vejmelka made in the first period, Lankinen matched him bar for bar in the early going. His aggressive style of play nearly got him in trouble on this scoring chance for Clayton Keller, but that’s also what makes him a fun netminder to watch.
Best ‘Of Course’ Moment
For all the Canucks’ first period efforts, it only took a Max Sasson tripping call and 13 seconds on the penalty kill to undo all the steps forward.
The Mammoth won the draw, worked the puck up to Mikhail Sergachev at the blue line, and he managed to bank the puck off a pair of Petterssons: EP40’s stick and Marcus’ foot, to be specific. Much like your grandma opening an scam email, Lankinen didn’t see the redirect coming.
Let’s be real though, if you didn’t see this coming, you must be new here.
Best Security Blanket
It turns out the player that might be able to keep Quinn Hughes in town has been under our noses the whole time.
Linus Karlsson got an odd man rush going in the second period, and even Jake DeBrusk losing the puck couldn’t stop him from finding Hughes for a one-timer immediately after.
The last time someone named Linus hit something with that kind of accuracy, it was the kid from the Peanuts knocking cans off a fence with a blanket slingshot.
Best VeggieTales
Tonight the Canucks threw 32 shots at Karel Vejmelka; 31 of those didn’t get past him, one for each team in front of the Canucks in the NHL standings.
The two closest times the Canucks came to tying the game were on the same shift. The first was Jake DeBrusk on a two-on-one that the leftie got the knob of his stick on.
Just further proof that Goofy-handed goalies are the current market inefficiency.
Then a few moments later, Marcus Pettersson sprung Conor Garland and Brock Boeser on another odd man rush. This time Vejmelka wasn’t able to get across in time, but Boeser only got the toe of his stick on the puck and skied it.
Even without a puck going in the net, it’s weird to see the Canucks actually controlling the pace of play in a game. The last time they did was, by my count, approximately 36 years ago. Or however long it takes to get through a FIFA World Cup drawing.
Best Limp Bizkit lyrics

So. It’s going to one of THOSE games. And months. And seasons. #canucks.

— Patrick (@thesplat.bsky.social) 2025-12-06T03:37:03.317Z

By now you know the drill. The Canucks actually play decently, but a much better team takes advantage of their fewer scoring chances when presented to them.
That’s all it for Mikhail Sergachev to pick up his second point of the game, as Nick Schmaltz got inside positioning on Hughes and deflected the puck past Lankinen late in the second period.
The windows the Mammoth had to score was shorter than Netflix plans to keep movies in theatres when they buy Warner Bros. But they sure maxxed out the box office receipts.
https://media.giphy.com/media/XOzeEBpVzIrzmoHiHL/giphy.gif
Best don’t tap the glass
Linus Karlsson was trying to find any way to spark his team. Even if that meant raising a grevience over looking the wrong way and running into the back of Kevin Stenlund.
Punching a guy with a full fishbowl on (for what I can only assume are injury reasons) is about as ice cold as it gets. And just look how fired up he is in the penalty box.
Screw it, give Linus the ‘C’ if Hughes leaves. He’s dragging them into the fight kicking and screaming!
Best Focus Group Testing
It worked for the Mariners!

Bees. Lots of bees. In his mask.

— CrankyCanucksFan 🇨🇦🏒 (@crankycanucksfan.bsky.social) 2025-12-06T04:09:53.169Z

Bees?!
Only if the category is ‘Phrases’.
This is called ‘playing the long game’.

Some kind of ritual to a pagan god

— Jackson604 (@jackson604.bsky.social) 2025-12-06T03:56:05.653Z

Someone must’ve bowed to Cthulhu during the intermission.
Best Bain Capital
Arshdeep Bains has been working his butt off on different variations of the Abby Line all season long, and he finally got to have his moment in the sun. He created it at both ends of the ice, starting by blocking a Michael Carcone shot and pushing the puck to DePetey in the corner for a breakout.
And when it came time to put the puck in the net, it wasn’t a chintzy goal either. The deflection off Aatu Räty’s shot took an extremely deft hand that Bains redirected from the middle back around Vejmelka’s glove.
What a time for the depth scoring to arrive. It would be nice if the star players could show up on the scoresheet next.
Best Pulling a Homer
Kevin Lankinen very nearly gave the game away earlier than anticipated, when he accidentally played the puck directly to Daniil But near the boards.
But the veteran Lank got out of his error with the age-old “letting Dylan Guenther bump into you near the net as you scramble back” trick.
The refs waived it off as incidental contact, preventing the Utah bench from challenging it. The perfect crime!
Best Frustration
There’s been a lot of talk of late about Quinn Hughes being checked out. Well, today he nearly checked Logan Cooley into the hospital.
Cooley was already coming off a leg contusion last week against the Blues, and I’m guessing slamming it into the post wasn’t exactly doctor perscribed.
Hughes got called for holding and made himself look busy in the penalty box re-taping his stick.
How’s that for checked out?
Best Chirp
Perhaps Karlsson was onto something earlier, because Kevin Stenlund seemingly failed to disclose was that his fishbowl is actually a smart visor that shows him when to deke.
That would explain why he was able to seal off the game so easily as the defender seas parted for him down the middle of the ice and he tucked Lankinen’s right pad.
Note how Captain Quinn started the first few strides of the “stick smash” motion before thinking much better of it.
All that was left was to stamp this package and ship it, and that’s what John Marino did with a long ball empty netter in the final 30 seconds.
Best ‘Dog sitting with his coffee as the house burns around him’
This is fine.
Even in a Friday night game where tickets were going on Student Rush for less than $50, I’m not so sure the fans got their money’s worth.
Surely after this performance, even with the Whitecaps playing for the MLS Cup and the Goldeneyes back from the road, people will have plenty of entertainment dollars left to give for the Canucks and Wild tomorrow night.

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