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The Stanchies: Canucks continue apathy spiral in 4-0 loss to Red Wings
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Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
The Stanchion
Dec 9, 2025, 02:15 ESTUpdated: Dec 9, 2025, 03:08 EST
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We’ve reached the point in the season where Quinn Hughes mentioning the New Jersey Devils GM by nickname has caused everyone to rethink their lives and wonder what any of it all means.
And I don’t mean that to discredit the emotions currently going on in the Vancouver fanbase, as it’s quite understandable after a decade-plus of losing, combined with almost two seasons of “wtf is going on with our team, emotionally,” you might find yourself a bit on edge. So while I don’t necessarily think Quinn Hughes saying “Fitzy” is that big of a deal, I do understand that when you have been given absolutely no answers, you might find yourself overanalyzing every single thing in an attempt to find an answer. It’s the equivalent of misplacing your keys, and after hours of searching everywhere you can think of, part of your brain is inevitably going to have a conversation with itself about whether you should check your freezer.
“I’ve never put my keys in the freezer.”
“But what if this time you did.”
“I would never have a reason to put them in the freezer, I think the starting point of this debate is flawed.”
“But what if you were getting ice for your drink and they fell in. It’s probably best if you just look.”
“OK but like…..ok fine, fine, I’ll check in the freezer.”
So who’s to say calling someone a nickname, or someone wearing green shoes, or someone not drinking coffee like they used to, ISN’T a sign of some sort of impending action. It’s a Knives Out mystery, and you’re all invited to participate.
Canucks Nation is basically at the point where all they can do is wait for Elliotte Friedman to get bored and casually mention the Hughes situation, and then act like he’s shocked it caused such an uproar.
“I’m not saying anything is imminent, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s revealed that it’s possible that it might be a reality that Quinn Hughes might one day be interested in pursuing the sport of hockey in a market that may or may not be Vancouver.” followed by him chastising the market for over-reacting to his report the next day.
All of which is to say the Vancouver Canucks played the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night, and it’s safe to say that the games kind of feel like they are firmly in the back seat of the Hughes situation, more so than ever before.
Which isn’t to say the 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Michigan-based hockey team wasn’t an exciting game. I am sure people who paid money to watch the Canucks lose on home ice are quite content to sit back and wait and see how another made-for-TV drama plays out over the course of a season.
But it’s probably safe to say we are currently knee-deep in the swamps of apathy in this market.
Were there boos at the end of this game? A few. But for the most part, it feels like the fan base is just trudging along in the rain, waiting for a sunny day that might never arrive. I think it’s hard for people to emotionally invest in a team that has asked so much of them the past few seasons, with so few returns. There is no grand plan on the horizon, and all you can do is wait and see how the Quinn Hughes situation plays out, which doesn’t exactly sell tickets or hope. “Want to see if we screw up trading our generational player that we backed ourselves into a corner with?” isn’t quite as catchy as “Compete is in our nature.”, alas.
Which isn’t to say there might not be hope one day. For all we know, Quinn Hughes could stay and turn things around. Or maybe they trade him, get an exceptional return, and start a rebuild/retool in earnest.
It’s just, again, it’s hard to believe in a team that has felt like it’s been following the same script for years, and there has been nothing to suggest they’ll try anything different.
It almost feels like nothing will change in this market unless you scare the owner with low ticket sales, but even then, it feels like a time loop of the next guy coming in, promising he can turn things around in a hurry.
Which kind of makes you think and ponder what the one common denominator has been with the Canucks ever since they fired Mike Gillis. Really makes you think.
Anyways, let’s dive into the game.
Best state of affairs
Is Quinn Hughes giving Brock Boeser a tip that he’s on his way to Detroit??
WE JUST DON’T KNOW.
Best designer seats
This isn’t the ’90s, must-see-tv Red Wings, this is the “haven’t made the playoffs in nine years, oh hey Patrick Kane is still playing??” version. Yet their fans are now a noticeable presence at Canucks games, which you know, probably isn’t a great thing for the team.
At least you can see the nice new black seats clearly? I never thought a moral victory would be “don’t have to look at the disgusting maroon-stained seats in 4K anymore,” but damn it, I am taking it.
Which on a side note, for the people who bought their old seats from Rogers Arena, what’s the deal? Everyone’s got their kinks in life, and I don’t judge fandom, but I just do not understand how you get one of those run-down seats that would be an absolute adventure under a black light and feel comfortable with it in your house. That’s all I am saying.
Anyways, to the Canucks credit, and for fans of being “right there” in the pursuit of victory, Vancouver probably deserved a better fate on the night? They controlled most of the first period, and Jake DeBrusk alone should have had around 27 goals, but this is also a team that is second-last place in the NHL, so it’s kind of hard to be like “oh man, I’m telling you, they HAD this one” and be taken seriously? We are firmly in the “Once is a mistake, twice is a habit, and twenty times is just who we are, this is emphatic proof of what we are; we can’t fight it anymore, please stop asking us about it.”
With the Canucks still dealing with the absence of Elias Pettersson, their centre depth makes me uncomfortable to look at, but as I said, they managed to dictate the opening frame of this game.
First up, you had Conor Garland finding Brock Boeser for an absolute bullet of a one-timer:
You know how a one-timer is good? When the guy drops to one knee to propose to it. And Brock leaned into that shot, but John Gibson, as he did all night, denied him.
Up next, you had Evander Kane giving the puck away, only to see Kiefer Sherwood steal it back and get it over to Kane again, who then found the Canucks hottest goal scorer, Aatu Räty, down low:
One day Aatu Räty will score between his legs, putting him up on the wall beside Ryan Shannon’s spin-o-rama shootout goal. Fun fact: Nikolai Khabibulin got so angry that he got deked out of his jock that he punched Shannon in the head. Also, that clip makes me miss John Garrett on commentary more than I realized.
Up next, we had Quinn Hughes dingle-dangle his way to setting up Jake DeBrusk setting up shop in Tim Horton’s, only to just tip the puck high and wide:
And then we had Fil Hronek long bombing the puck to Corolla, who once again set up Jake DeBrusk for a great scoring chance:
Jake does a great job of batting down the puck and then tries his vaunted shootout goal, where he cuts one way to drag the goalie with him and then softly chips it back the other direction as if to say, “ha ha, you’re so stupid, I can’t believe you thought I was shooting blocker side.” The puck was rolling, which made the accuracy on the shot tougher than normal, and it is probably the kind of situation November Jake scores on, but not December Jake.
Never, December Jake.
Best inevitable conclusion
If you got that sinking feeling after watching the Canucks dominate that there would be a defensive lapse leading to a goal, congratulations, you’re a well-versed hockey fan:
As well as the Canucks played to open the period, we know they remain prone to defensive breakdowns and bad coverage. Which isn’t even based on other teams coming out like the ’80s Oilers and just running the Canucks out of the rink. Most of the time, it’s just basic hockey, where the other team is cycling the puck, and before you know it, the Canucks have pissed their pants and a man is wide open.
I just find it hard to trust in Adam Foote’s defensive system because I still don’t quite know what he’s trying to do with it. All we have are the results, which are the Canucks attempting some sort of man-to-man defence that inevitably breaks down when two or more Canucks randomly swarm at a player with the puck.
And on this play, Aatu Räty leaves the net front to chase JT Compher, who had just beaten Marcus Pettersson behind the net. Conventional wisdom says you stand your ground if you’re Aatu, because you need to defend the crease. Let MP3 try to recover and see how things play out. Which maybe that’s a tall task considering how poorly Marcus Pettersson has played this season, but damn it, we’re a society and we have rules. Defend the crease.
But Räty doesn’t stand his ground; he instead chases down Compher behind the net, and JT finds a time-travelling James van Riemsdyk from 2013 all alone in front. 1-0 bad guys.
Was this Kevin Lankinen’s fault? No, it’s hard to blame any goalie for whatever…this season is. You can’t expect your goalie to bail you out for every major defensive breakdown.
But the fact remains: Kevin has probably been the worst goalie on the season for Vancouver, and his contract is looking a bit stinky, so he’s going to get some valid criticism.
All I am saying is I feel calmer when Nikita Tolopilo is in net, which I didn’t see coming.
Best we love you all equally
Best road hockey
Can I interest you in a nice Tom Willander rush?
Yes, a shot that was blocked and led to an awkward cover in the crease isn’t the sexiest highlight, but sometimes you take what you can get.
I just really enjoy Tom Willander when he busts out a mini-Hughes rush down the ice. Somewhere in the world, I like to imagine Jiri Slegr looks up and just smiles.
Best reporting from George
If you were in a court of law and looking across the table at Jack McCoy, Harvey Spector or Ally McBeal, this would be where you’d make your case that the Canucks didn’t commit murder and had a chance to win this game.
Jake DeBrusk, third in your program and first in your hearts, had three chances on a power play midway through the second period.
One was upsetting he didn’t score.
One was disgusting he didn’t score.
And one was merely average; as such, we won’t show it or mention it ever again.
But the first two chances? Nicolas Cage would be needed for the reenactment of how painfully close he came to scoring.
The best chance was probably the spiral pass from Quinn Hughes, sent in from around Robson Street, catching DeBrusk behind the Detroit defence:
Clang clang clang goes the trolley and the post, however, and the Canucks remained scoreless.
Which then led right into Jake DeBrusk having a glorious chance to swat a rebound, which, along with deft tipping, is his bread and butter. Unfortunately, John Gibson didn’t get the memo:
Even the play to set up the shot leading to the rebound is really slick, as Garland passes the puck in the slot to Sherwood, who just sort of spins and shoots it like he’s one of those players on a metal rod in a Bubble hockey game.
If you’re thinking to yourself, “man, sure would be nice if the Canucks shot near the top of the net”, you should 100% be thinking that. But even then, this was a tremendous save from a goalie who was sliding the other way before Jake got the shot off.
Then, after this, Jake rushed the puck on net for a third chance on the same shift, but you could tell by then his spirit was demoralized, and he needed some time to think about life before trying to shoot a puck again.
Best reaction shot
When you’re told the Canucks want to win now and aren’t looking at getting draft picks or young players.
Best all Copp are bad
And that was pretty much the hockey game from Vancouver’s side of things. The good news is this article wraps up pretty quickly because there is only so much I want to talk about Detroit scoring three goals and then watching them park the bus for the third period against Vancouver.
Now, this might shock you, but Detroit’s second goal? It involved bad coverage:
I will say that Linus Karlsson and Drew O’Connor colliding outside the blue line at least provides a reasonable explanation as to why the Canucks had some trouble covering in their zone. This is better than “why did Evander Kane just skate off into the horizon?” levels of bad breakdowns.
That being said, it’s still a breakdown, and with two forwards unable to get back into the play, Detroit quickly moves the puck around the ice before ending on the tap-in from Andrew Copp.
I think Quinn Hughes is probably a bit too aggressive as he lunges at the puck going across to Axel Sandin-Pellikka, which takes him away from protecting the front of the net.
I think Fil Hronek is too slow to get back; he looks extremely casual skating back to his net, to the point that I had to check if he was wearing a hoodie and sandals.
And I think Kevin Lankinen overplays the east/west pass, as he slides out of his crease tracking the puck, which gives him no chance at making the stop on Copp. At the very least, he needs to toss his stick as he reaches back, at least give us the dramatics.
Best it’s all about how you view it
If you prefer traditional piss poor net coverage, can I present you with Detroit’s third goal?
Once again, Sandin-Pellikka sets up a man in front, this time finding Nate Danielson all alone in front of Kevin Lankinen after Marcus Pettersson and Conor Garland both chase Marco Kasper along the sideboards. Swarming is cool, right? All the kids are swarming, they tell me.
At one point, Danielson literally skates back and forth through Canucks coverage, and still nobody picks him up, leading to Nate tipping a puck (deftly) pass Lankinen, and then doing some pushups on the crossbar to further add insult to injury.
When Rick Tocchet left, so did any semblance of a defensive system that players understood and trust in, because I do not recognize the player Marcus Pettersson has been this season. It feels like every player has regressed in that regard EXCEPT Fil Hronek. It’s our version of Pluribus. I don’t know why Hronek is immune, but each week, I am waiting to see when the hosts finally figure it out and assimilate him into the hive mind.
Best branding
Best discussion
Goalie contracts, man.
I understand the theory behind signing Kevin Lankinen (Thatcher Demko will always be injured for half a season). I liked how Kevin played last season. I didn’t think Kevin would play as poorly as he has this season.
But that’s all the more reason why I worry anytime a goalie signs a long-term deal.
It’s not the old days where there were like three top goalies in Hasek, Roy and Brodeur, then a bunch of average goalies, and then Dan Cloutier.
Now we live in a world in which Casey DeSmith will be like a viable goalie for St. Louis in the year 2032 and can get you some wins. You have options.
On the other hand, you watch Edmonton, and you wonder, “That will never be us, right?” So I get the fear of that.
But still. Signing goalies to long-term, high-dollar deals always seems like a risk, especially when you have two of them on the roster.
I think the Canucks had to go with either Demko or Lankinen and then kept Arturs Silovs, but then again, “what if everything goes perfectly right this season?” game planning probably allows you a level of delusion I’ve never experienced.
Best tradition
I like how in Vancouver, you know they won’t fire anyone until a jersey is tossed on the ice; it’s our version of white smoke.
Anyways, here is Kiefer Sherwood getting a shot on net to start the third period:
Experience Canucks hockey!
Best asked and answered
Best oh there were multiple dudes
For posterity’s sake, here are clips of the Canucks fighting back in the third period and trying to make a game of it.
Up first, you had the returning Nils Höglander setting up Aatu Räty right in front, only to be denied by Gibson:
I like how Aatu Räty shoved off his check to get open, circa 2003, Todd Bertuzzi, before the coward known as Barry Trotz publicly complained about it, and officials started calling penalties for it.
Then you had number one centre David Kampf setting up Fil Hronek, who can dance for days, and landing a boom, headshot:
And then you had multiple dudes just banging at the puck in the crease as if to say “see? we tried” as the time wore down on the clock:
It was another third period, that’s about the best I can describe it. The Canucks went for a skate, took some shots, and hopefully drank some beers in the parking lot.
Best sure why not
I keep waiting to see how early Adam Foote will pull the goalie and by what margin. Will we ever see a 7-0 lead where the Canucks pull the goalie two minutes into the third? I can only hope so.
But on this night, Corolla, sweet, reliable Corolla, stalled on the breakout:
Did Dylan Larkin wink at Quinn Hughes? One can only hope.
Best put a bit of mustard on it
Full credit to Kiefer Sherwood for showing a modicum of “eff you” energy, as he landed a big hit on Lucas Raymond to close out the game:
That is one of those hits where people debate for days about if it was a headshot or not, leading to AI generated thesis presented at 2 am, followed up by still photos of the exact moment they believe contact was made with a body part, all of which is to say it was a big hit and Raymond is fine, so we don’t need to fight.
And that was the game. Now we can get back to waiting for Elliotte Friedman to tweet about Quinn Hughes again.
Yay.

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