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Canucks Game Day: Lankinen seeks third straight win as Bruins come to town
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Photo credit: © Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Jeff Paterson
Jan 3, 2026, 13:45 ESTUpdated: Jan 3, 2026, 13:38 EST
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The Vancouver Canucks (16-20-4) reach the midway mark of their 2025-26 National Hockey League schedule when they host the Boston Bruins (21-18-2) at Rogers Arena. Tonight’s game starts at 7pm. It’s the team’s final home game before it heads out on a six-game road trip.

What we know

After a 4-3 shootout loss to Seattle last night, the Canucks opted against a morning skate. So it will be closer to game time before head coach Adam Foote reveals any lineup changes for tonight’s game. Kevin Lankinen is expected to get the start in goal after backing up Thatcher Demko last night. Lankinen made a season-high 39 saves plus seven more in a shootout in a 5-4 victory over the Bruins in Boston on December 20th. The Finnish netminder has won his last two starts.
The Canucks could insert defenceman Elias Pettersson, who has been a healthy scratch the past two games. It’s unlikely the team will make any changes up front. Arshdeep Bains, recalled from AHL Abbotsford on Friday, is the lone healthy forward option.
Former Bruin Jake DeBrusk had his first multi-point game of the season last night. He scored on a second period power play and assisted on goals by Kiefer Sherwood and Linus Karlsson. For Sherwood, it was his team leading 17th goal of the season leaving him two shy of the 19 he scored all of last season. Meanwhile, on the day he signed a two-year, $4.5M extension, Karlsson scored for the sixth time in six games. That included a career-high two goal game in Boston two weeks ago.
The Canucks went two for three with the man-advantage against the Kraken. The team had a chance for its first three power play goal game of the season with an opportunity in overtime, but was unable to convert.
After winning their first four shootouts of the season, the Canucks came out on the wrong end of the skills competition last night. Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk and Liam Öhgren were all denied on their attempts. Pettersson is now zero for his four tries this season.
With the shootout loss, the Canucks have now secured at least a point in six of their last nine games (5-3-1). However, the Canucks have dropped five straight on home ice (0-4-1). To make matters worse, they are 1-8-2 in their last 11 home games getting outscored 47-27 in the process. Their lone win in that stretch was December 7th against Minnesota.
The team begins the day in 31st in the overall league standings two points ahead of the last place Winnipeg Jets who are in Ottawa on Saturday evening.

The Opponent

The Bruins have been idle since a 6-2 New Year’s Eve victory in Edmonton. David Pastrnak scored twice and added an assist while Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves. The triumph snapped a six-game winless skid (0-4-2) and was just the team’s second victory in nine games.
Pastrnak leads the Bruins with 44 points while Morgan Geekie holds the team lead with 25 goals. However, Geekie has gone a season-high five games without a goal since opening the scoring on the power play in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Canucks on December 20th.
Boston enters the night with the fifth best power play in the NHL clicking at 24.8%. It’s even better on the road at 25.5%. Pastrnak leads the team with eight power play goals while Geekie has seven.
Tonight’s game is a homecoming for Bruins centre Fraser Minten who was born in Vancouver and played his junior hockey in Kamloops.
The Bruins are the most penalized team in the NHL. They lead the league in minors taken and are second to Tampa Bay with 17 majors. Former Canuck Nikita Zadorov leads all NHL skaters with 26 minors and is the only player with more than 100 penalty minutes (107).
On a strange road trip in a condensed schedule, the Bruins haven’t played since Wednesday in Edmonton. And won’t play again until Tuesday in Seattle. In an ever-changing Eastern Conference, the Bruins start the day two points from a playoff spot and three points out of last place. 

News and notes

The Canucks will wear their black skate jerseys tonight. They are 2-6 in their alternate uniforms this season. Then again, they have half of their home ice wins in those black sweaters after defeating Calgary on opening night and Edmonton a few weeks later. They have dropped five straight in black.
The referees for tonight’s game are Justin Kea and Brian Pochmara. This is one of the rare instances where the same officials work together two nights in a row. Those two also wore the stripes for the Canucks and Kraken.
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. Join the live YouTube chat with your thoughts on the hockey game.
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