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The Stanchies: Canucks secure rare home ice win in 2-0 victory over Ducks
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Photo credit: © Christopher Morris-Imagn Images
The Stanchion
Jan 30, 2026, 03:18 ESTUpdated: Jan 30, 2026, 04:20 EST
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After coming off of arguably one of their worst defensive showings of the season against the San Jose Sharks, to the point that even Tom Willander was waxing poetic like a young Thomas Hobbes, it’s safe to say the Vancouver Canucks wanted to have a better outing against the Anaheim Ducks.
And while the Canucks 2-0 victory on Thursday night was was far from a certainty for most of the game, and it won’t be up for any awards in the “most exciting game of the season” category anytime soon, even the most cynical fan had to admit that at least the team showed a bit of bounce back after watching Macklin Celebrini tear through them like a late night of regret at Taco Bell.
If you played this game 10 times, Anaheim probably wins more often than not, but that’s sort of the life of a bad team; you cling and hold onto a game, pray your goalie is feeling good, hope you get some bounces, and try to ride off into the sunset with a low-scoring victory. It’s not a recipe for long-term success, but from a mental relief side of things, there was a palpable sense in the air that Vancouver REALLY needed this one.
When Drew O’Connor opened the scoring midway through the third period, the goal celebration felt like it snuck into a party it didn’t belong to and couldn’t believe it got away with it. For a team that has had more lows than I care to count right now, there was something cathartic about watching a group of Canucks on the ice, forgetting about all the noise and just enjoying the moment.
I’ve long said that this town will embrace a rebuild; you just have to actually, you know, commit to it. Some sides will sneer and say the fans won’t be there during the dark years, but as the game was coming to a close, there was a standing ovation from the fans in attendance. The best moment, though? There was a spirited “We want the Cup!” chant after Teddy Blueger made it 2-0 on an empty net goal, and if that doesn’t showcase the beauty of the pain of this fanbase to you, nothing will.
Despite losing Quinn Hughes, despite watching two management teams come in and fumble their way to irrelevancy for over a decade, despite an aura of “we’re the smartest guys in the room, god damn it” from ownership, if you show even an inkling of a plan to this city, the fans will be there. As you trade away veterans who don’t want to be here for the hard times, as you bring in players who are excited to play in this city, as you actually develop and follow a plan that people understand and trust, these fans will embrace you.
Because while chanting “We want the Cup!” during one of the worst home stretches in Canucks history is self-deprecating in nature, and allows people to laugh so they don’t cry, it shows the passion that is still burning inside of this fanbase. Before Quinn Hughes forced the team committed to a rebuild, apathy had settled in. People were sitting on their hands, not even reacting to blowout losses.
But you do the bare minimum of a rebuild, and guess what? People are starting to come around. Imagine what will happen if the team actually sticks to it and sees it out properly? Dare to dream, really.
Because at the end of the day, fans want to have pride in this team. They want the players to represent the city. They are dying to feel that connection to their team that hasn’t been felt in a long time. It’s felt like countless players have rejected this city to the point that having someone like Uncle Fil hugging everyone and saying he isn’t going anywhere is the heroic moment a fatherless fanbase has been waiting for.
And while one solitary 2-0 victory doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, I think it does underscore a very important point, and that is I think management and ownership has taken this fan base for granted. It treats them with disrespect when it puts the idea that they can’t rebuild, otherwise the fans won’t be there. Hell, they have already been here during the last decade, and that’s when the team was putting up the same results a rebuilding team would have done anyway.
It’s putting the onus on the fans, as if to say it’s their fault they are in this mess, that they can’t be trusted, when those same fans have been pleading for a long-term plan for years upon years. It’s insulting at its core because it treats fans like imbeciles. “How could they possibly understand and support a rebuild? No, no, no, it’s much better to go all in on a two-year window.”
So it’s either the owner thinks you’re an idiot, or it’s basically a cowardly way to chase playoff revenue in the short-term without giving the fans the proper respect they deserve by investing in the team properly and building a winner. Pick your poison.
Which is why I hope ownership hears those “We want the Cup!” chants and hears them for what they are: a fan base finding a way to celebrate the small moments during the dark times. A fan base waiting and ready to get behind a rebuild so that one day those “We want the Cup!” chants will be shouted out in earnest.
Because this town deserves a winner, and it’s time ownership proves they deserve this team and these fans.
Best they’re what you call a slow burn
Make no mistake about it, Anaheim has a team that can score some goals. There are even rumours out there that they used to be Mighty Ducks, but my Disney+ subscription expired, so I cannot confirm or deny it at this time.
The point is, I think Vancouver still had fresh memories of that Sharks game running through their heads, as the first periods dating profile would be labelled “cautiously open to experiencing life again.”
It’s no secret that defensive structure has been an issue all season long, and while there were some moments where it reared its ugly head in this game, for the most part? This was one of Vancouver’s better defensive efforts on the season. The Canucks didn’t endlessly overload one side of the ice or have players scrambling to figure out who to cover; they played a pretty tight game.
Naturally, the offensive output was limited due to this approach, especially in the first period, as I think both teams used the opening twenty minutes to feel each other out.
I want to give kudos to Lukáš Dostál first and foremost, however, as he had the gumption and tenacity to face down the Canucks best even strength threat in Drew O’Connor and didn’t even blink:
There was no piss running down his leg, the moment was not too big, as Dostál calmly looks off Drew before handing the puck off, even though DOC still almost scored because he is our five on five overlord and you just have to embrace it.
The Canucks next chance on net didn’t look nearly as intimidating, however, as Jake DeBrusk had a two-on-one set up by a long-distance outlet pass from Marcus Pettersson that ended with Jake toe-dragging into the swamps of sadness:
You can almost see Jake realize he’s committed to the toe drag; he knows it’s not going to work, but he’s stuck in the deke animation, so he just holds it and hopes it sorts itself out.
As for the Ducks, early on during a power play, Beckett Sennecke found himself all alone in front of Nikita Tolopilo, but Cutter Gauthier beamed him instead of hitting the net:
This is notable because the end of the game is highlighted by Gauthier making awful decisions with the puck, and also because in my head I was like “I am positive you spell Beckett’s last name ‘Senneca’ and oh boy, was I ever wrong.
You’ll also notice the Canucks doing their thing where they have three guys sort of drift away for reasons (bees?), leaving a guy wide open, and this was when it felt like the Canucks were in for another long night. They’d have their spirited opening five minutes, but then the other team would score a few goals, and then the night would be spent praying Crazy P stays out of your section.
And when the Ducks got a two-on-one that Ian Moore just missed scoring on, you felt like the loss was inevitable:
When Mikael Granlund started skating around Marcus Pettersson, making him do the turnstile dance we’ve seen far too often this season, you were merely wondering how many goals the Canucks would lose by:
But the Ducks didn’t score. And they would continue to not score. And while the Canucks would give up some good looks on net, for the most part, they were downright competent on the night. And anytime Anaheim got a high-danger chance, Nikita Tolopilo and/or Kevin Lankinen were there.
And while the Canucks didn’t score either in the first period, Jake DeBrusk and Linus Karlsson evened out the shot clock on one play alone, getting like five shots in one sequence:
Jake and Linus have the same sort of net front game, where they both do the most damage in the blue paint, which is why I want more of them on the same power play unit. Let’s really dive into some Hunger Games shit here, see who wants to save their district more.
It reminds me of that one glorious season where Brock Boeser and Andrei Kuzmenko were almost fighting each other to be the first guy to tip in a puck in the crease. I would sit and wait in excitement to see who would be the first guy to score, signified by Kuzmenko doing goal celebrations even EA Sports felt was a bit over the top, or signified by Brock Boeser looking glumly into the distance as he pondered his goal.
During some plays, Kuzmenko and Boeser would be standing right beside each other in the crease, and damn it, it was like watching Rocket League in real life, trying to see who would snake the goal at the last second. It was beautiful.
Best this is going to ruin the tour
Late in the first period, Ryan Poehling did a juke that involved him moving his stick out of the way whilst flinging his body in the general direction of Tolopilo, which feels a bit too much like an NHL Hitz strategy?
It was a bold move, Cotton, as the Ducks were handed a penalty on the play, and the goal was waived off. Not literally handed a penalty, but you get it. You get metaphors.
My main takeaway from this play, however, is just the lack of reaction from the Canucks. Look, I’m not saying you need to be dropping the gloves every chance you get, but it feels like someone taking liberties with your goaltender is a good spot for that? Even in the game against the Penguins, Brock Boeser gets hit with a headshot, and there is just nothing. No push back. Just acceptance.
And I get it, losing is hard. Being stuck in this mindset is a tough thing to break out of, especially in a season where it feels like nothing matters. But the veterans have to be the leaders we’re told they are. The young guys have to prove they belong in this league. There is always something to play for on an individual level; you just have to find it.
Part of the rebuild is making a team that is hard to play against. You might lose, but hell, the other team is going to be grumbling about having to play you. You want them remembering your name when they need to stretch for 15 minutes the next day before they can even get out of bed.
You need to take offence to everything, you need to go full Minority Report. If you even THINK a player might commit a crime against your team, take them out like Gudas did to Aatu Räty later in the game for daring to…hold his stick near his goaltender?
Make a player think twice before they go near your crease. Make them hesitate, even if only for a brief second. Make them run the equation of “is this worth my time?” when they see a puck battle in front of them.
Make teams earn their wins against you.
Best speaking of slow burns
Filip Chytil hasn’t set the world on fire in his return, but he’s also coming off a long injury layoff, so I am more than willing to give them the rest of the season before we dive too deep into his gameplay. His zone entries have been noticeably absent, but that’s also the easiest way to get cranked with a huge hit, so he can be excused if he’s easing himself back into everything.
That being said, he is still getting some scoring chances; he just doesn’t have the finish yet. Linus Karlsson set him up for a rush with a brilliant pass from his knees that ended with Chytil sending the puck high over the net:
You can see his game is in there, but yeah, he needs some time to shake off the rust still.
Plus, he’s playing on one of the worst teams in the league. I can’t imagine a worse place to try to get back into your groove.
Best team shutout
No, Nikita did not pull a Luongo; there was no washroom involved in this absence. He got the concussion protocol, which meant Lankinen had to come in and make one solitary save off of Chaos Giraffe before handing the nets back:
It just feels right that Tyler Myers almost scored on Lankinen for his one save of the game. As a result of Lankinen playing, Tolopilo lost his shutout as it gets recorded as a team shutout, which feels unfair. If Elias Pettersson makes some saves in net, the shutout isn’t a team shutout; it’s not right, damn it.
Regardless, Nikita rejoined the game and immediately made some big saves to let you know that Big Rig was back:
I have no nickname for Tolopilo yet, so we will be trying some as we go along.
Best trying their best
You never know when a scout is watching and can help get you traded, which is why I assume Evander Kane kicked it up a notch in the second period with a couple of dangerous scoring chances.
The first was off of a Conor Garland takeaway that ended with Elias Pettersson sending a backhand pass out in front to a hard-charging Kane:
Garland, who has seemingly died inside ever since Quinn Hughes was traded, had one of his better games in this one. That being said, he has tarnished the Corolla name by disappearing since “The Trade”, so his nickname has been put on hold until he rediscovers his form and/or gets traded to Minnesota to be with Quinn forever.
Evander Kane then had a breakaway chance go awry, as much like Jake DeBrusk earlier, he got stuck in a dangle animation and ended up going right around the net as he ran out of room:
Beckett Sennecke then returned fire with a couple of shots off a faceoff, but Nikita denied him both times:
Look at him getting off being withholding.
Then Elias Pettersson almost scored to end the second period when he banged away at a rebound from a Tyler Myers corner slapshot:
The second period felt like the Canucks got a bit looser. They were willing to open things up to try and score, almost as if they had survived an entire period without being scored on, and life suddenly seemed full of so many options.
There were long stretches where the Canucks moved the puck around the offensive zone with confidence, and they even got Anaheim into the dreaded “shift clock overlay” situation, where they had the Ducks stuck in their own zone for minutes at a time.
They didn’t score, mind you. The offence is still pretty stagnant and uncreative. But at least they tilted the ice for parts of this game.
Best LFG
Halfway through the third period, however, Drew O’Connor, the Even Strength Maestro, said enough is enough, and it’s time for a change:
Räty makes a timely check along the boards, Jake DeBrusk finds Drew O’Connor in the slot, and DOC knuckles one in past Lukáš Dostál. This was then followed up by grown men taking turns shaking each other in excitement, and I couldn’t be more here for it. Just a fun moment in a long, dreary season where it was nice to just sit back and enjoy hockey for the sake of hockey.
Best timely response
Speaking of team toughness, Defensively Minded Elias Pettersson has been one of the better Canucks in terms of having a snarl around the net during his career here. He’s one of the main guys who might shove you in the face or spit on your shoes if you happen to glance at his goalie. And while some of that toughness and some of those hits have dried up as of late from the young defenceman, I chalk that up to a player struggling on a season in which nobody understands what the defensive structure is supposed to be. I imagine he is quite lost in his head at times, which would be understandable.
And while figuring out his gap control and making better decisions needs to be his priority, seeing D Petey take out Olen Zellweger for daring to poke at the puck near his goalie, well, that warms my heart:
That’s what this team needs more of. You can’t give up an inch for free in the NHL; you have to make them work for it. You want to poke at the goalie, you’d better be ready to pay the price.
Best playing the long game
You see Conor Garland making a good defensive play before slashing a stick and taking a penalty:
I see Garland giving his team endless opportunities to shoot the puck down the rink without getting an icing call, which is what Teddy Blueger promptly delivered on:
While I admire the accuracy of the Blueger shot, I do want to give a shoutout to Gauthier for making some of the worst end-of-game decisions possible. It’s not often we get to laugh at another team making terrible life choices, so please humour me.
I just don’t know why, with the goalie pulled and already up a man, you decided to twice just send the puck into traffic in front of the net. You have a bit of time and space to find a good look on net, so I don’t think you need to be hurrying in passes from bad angles like this.
Hell, even a hard shot from the point is a better option than farting the puck into traffic from the corner.
Best final touch
Drink it in.
Next up? Toronto.
Maybe winning two games in a row isn’t such a bad thing.
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