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Canucks Game Day: An afternoon showdown against Crosby, Silovs, and the Penguins
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Photo credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Jeff Paterson
Jan 25, 2026, 11:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 25, 2026, 11:45 EST
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The Vancouver Canucks (17-29-5) play a rare 3 pm matinee when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins (25-14-11) at Rogers Arena. 
Three weeks ahead of the Olympics in Milano, Italy, Sidney Crosby returns to the building where he scored the Golden Goal for Canada 16 years ago next month.

What we know

With the early puck drop, the Canucks did not hold a morning skate. The team practiced at UBC on Saturday, minus Evander Kane and Tom Willander. Kane was given a maintenance day while Willander was battling an illness. It will be closer to game time before we learn the team’s lineup for today’s game.
At practice, Aatu Räty skated in Kane’s spot while Max Sasson was inserted as the fourth line centre. David Kämpf was an extra. The club has indicated it doesn’t want Räty and Sasson sitting out for long stretches. Räty has not dressed for the past two games, while Sasson was scratched for Friday’s 5-4 loss to New Jersey.
Linus Karlsson, Teddy Blueger, Zeev Buuim and Brock Boeser scored the Vancouver goals. After snapping a 21-game drought against the Columbus Blue Jackets last week, Boeser has now scored in back-to-back games and three of his last five outings. Blueger and Buium scored their first home ice goals of the season.
The Canucks special teams are in a rut. Over the past eight games, the club is one for 19 on the power play while killing off just 11 of 22 shorthanded situations. New Jersey struck for a pair of power play goals on Friday while the Canucks countered with Blueger’s shorthanded marker.
Vancouver has a decision to make in goal. Kevin Lankinen has started three straight and five of the team’s last six games. He surrendered five goals on 24 shots on Friday night. On Saturday, the club recalled Nikita Tolopilo from AHL Abbotsford. The big Belarusian could see his first NHL action since a 6-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at the start of the team’s eight-game homestand last Saturday.
This is the fifth game of the homestand. The Canucks are 1-3 so far. Their win on Wednesday over the Washington Capitals is their lone victory in the team’s past 13 games (1-10-2).

The Opponent

The Penguins pull into town on a roll, having won three straight and 4-0-2 in their last six games. They exploded for three goals in a 37-second burst early in a 6-2 win in Edmonton in their previous outing on Thursday night. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were among the Pittsburgh goal scorers. 
Crosby leads the team with 27 goals and 57 points, while Malkin and Bryan Rust are tied for second with 39 points apiece. The Penguins’ lineup features 18-year-old Coquitlam native Ben Kindel playing at Rogers Arena for the first time in his NHL career. The 11th overall pick in last June’s draft has eight goals and 20 points in his rookie season.
On Saturday, Arturs Silovs was presented with his Calder Cup Championship ring by Canucks assistant GM Ryan Johnston. Silovs and Stuart Skinner have basically alternated starts since Skinner was acquired prior to Christmas. Silovs is 9-6-8 on the season with a 3.00 GAA and a .894 save percentage.
Pittsburgh boasts the third-best power play in the NHL at 27.4%. Crosby leads the team with 10 power play goals. Somewhat surprisingly, Crosby also has a share of the team lead in penalty minutes with 34 on the season.

News and notes

The Penguins beat the Canucks 5-1 in Pittsburgh on October 21st. Conor Garland opened the scoring just 1:18 into the contest before the Pens rallied with five unanswered goals. They blew the game wide open with three goals in a three-minute span late in the second period.
The referees for this afternoon’s game are Garrett Rank and Carter Sandlak.
Don’t forget to join Rink Wide Vancouver for full postgame coverage after this game – and every game. The livestream starts moments after the final buzzer. Rink Wide is the place for full postgame analysis and discussion. Contribute to the live YouTube conversation with your thoughts on the game and support our charity partner – the BC Mental Health Foundation – with a Superchat.

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