Come For The Banter - Stay For The Disappointment
Nucks Fan Rebuild & Retool Center - Come For The Banter - Stay For The Disappointment
Jim Rutherford is staying in place as the Vancouver Canucks President of Hockey Operations. He just won't say for how long, possibly because he doesn't know. Welcome to a New Era of Stability!(tm)
It's unsurprising that the Canucks removed their general manager when the disastrous 2025-26 season concluded. It is something of a surprise that they kept Adam Foote on as coach and Rutherford as the administration's top dog. What's that say about the future?
Nobody does anything that doesn't make sense to them. There is a logic to every person's actions, even if it's incomprehensible to most of us. Rutherford's explanation for Foote's continued employment is that the new general manager will be free to make that decision as they please. On one hand, it shows a willingness to give whoever that is enough responsibility to guide the direction of the team. On the other, it's the strained logic of someone searching for an excuse for their employer's behaviour.
The person with the real power is the owner, Francesco Aquilini, we all know this. But that power is absolutist, something Rutherford made clear when he was first hired: Let me do my thing, or I'm out. It's not decision-making, it's a kill switch. And, by all appearances, the owner is scared to use it.
The Aquilini does NOT want to deal with the public, that's obvious. But he knows it's there. The big decisions do have to go through him, which is the same as any other sports team. Trading Quinn Hughes, for instance, affected the value of the team in multi-dimensional ways. It's not just the money involved, but the infrastructure changed. The owner's going to want to know what's happening and why.
That being said, they took a lot of heat for backing the last guy too long. There's no way he wants to go through that again. If the GM, president, and coach were all fired on the same day, he would be the only one available to face the microphones. So Rutherford stays in place. For now.
One of the more confusing things about this week is that Ryan Johnson hasn't already been named the Canucks' new general manager. He's done a very good job with Abbotsford, bringing the organization their first national championship of any kind. He signed a four-year deal, apparently at very good money, with the understanding he was the heir apparent. His familiarity with the younger players on the team should be obvious.
Initial reports of the Nashville Predators being denied permission to speak to Johnson for their general manager job were dismissed by Rutherford, saying the reporting was a misunderstanding of some kind. That seems an open-and-shut case that the search wouldn't be performative, quickly handing the job to the obvious frontrunner.
Then local reporter Cam Robinson said that he was told the denial was exactly that - a denial of permission. The team does not want to lose Johnson, and will hold him to his contract. Rumours abound that Johnson is Rutherford's pick, but the owners still need to be convinced. To me, it sounds like they are afraid of more anger from the public about not casting a wide enough net in their search.
Right now, any interviews seem like window dressing, but the conversation of who the team might want is interesting.
We know former NHL player Kevyn Adams has been interviewed and can be considered a front-runner. He spent several years trying to piece the Buffalo Sabres together with pipe cleaners and dreams after the COVID-19 pandemic. He managed a few major deals, had a good enough draft record, and was lousy at being the public face of the team.
It was also his first real job as a white-collar in the NHL, and on Day One he fired pretty much everyone he came into eye contact with. So he has a history of doing unpleasant work as needed, and presumably he's also learned from that first job. For a team looking to do a rebuild, bringing someone in without any ties might be a top priority.
Then again, a smart employer might add someone else to stand between him and anyone in the public eye. Or on the ice, for that matter. A team getting a "new coach bump" is a common enough occurrence that is has a name. The "new GM bump" is unique to Adams' dismissal.
Tom Fitzgerald has a history with Rutherford, working in Pittsburgh as an assistant general manager. His time in the top job with the New Jersey Devils has been relatively successful, but he wedged himself and the team into a corner with high-priced signings. Vancouver fans are familiar with the hazards of a skilled but thin team, and the results show in both cities this season.
Ron Francis was recently let go from the Seattle Kraken. Seattle is feeling a lot more pressure to perform than the Canucks are, especially with the NBA planning their return. Francis guided the expansion club through years of slow, steady growth, but they seem to have hit their ceiling under him. They couldn't take advantage of a weak division this season, and an inability to get real top-end talent to join the club counts against his tenure.
There is an odd bump when he came into conflict with Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon. The new majority owner named Francis President of Hockey Operations on March 7, 2018, then terminated his contract less than two months later. Anyone interested in a general manager who can "manage upwards" might want to skip him.
There are more than a few interesting "first-timer" names out there, including Johnson's.
Want a numbers guy? Sam Ventura is a numbers guy. A major part of one the earliest public stats-driven NHL fan sites, WAR-on-Ice, he was hired by the Pittsburgh Penguins for exactly that specialty. He went from consulting with them to a vice-president role with Buffalo, and was a big reason why they have finally broken their playoff-less string. Breaking down analytical data is a vital component for proper talent evaluation, so why not have that skill at the very top?
Like Johnson, Jason Spezza is both an assistant general manager at the NHL level and the general manager of an AHL farm club. While he's only done that job for a few years, he's also been tapped as an assistant with Canada's 2026 World Championship team. He is highly thought of as a future talent, but it's hard to know if that's because of his location or not. His previous job was in Toronto, after all.
Does Spezza bring more than Johnson? The AHL Penguins have been relatively successful in their regular seasons under him. But Johnson has been guiding Abbotsford for longer and has a championship to his name. That's tough to beat.
There are a few interesting names that have cropped up, but it's hard to judge how seriously to take them. Roberto Luongo would absolutely catch some eyes, given his history in Vancouver. It wouldn't entirely be a stunt hire, either, with Luongo working closely with Bill Zito in Florida. Another former player, Shane Doan, is interested in the white collar side of the league, and is currently in Toronto as a special advisor.
Ryan Bowness was the general manager of the Belleville Senators when he was with Ottawa, but last season joined the New York Islanders full time as their director of player personnel. He's only 42, but hardly a newcomer, joining the Atlanta Thrashers as a "team manager" (I don't know, either) in 2009-10. He stayed with the team when they moved to Winnipeg, moving to their pro scouting department. Bowness later became the director of pro scouting with Pittsburgh, then assistant general manager with Ottawa. He's definitely more than Rick Bowness' son.
The most likely hire is still Ryan Johnson, I think. He knows the team, the fans, the media, and the owner, with all the hiccups and foibles that entails. Not moving him into place now would be a massive insult, and it's hard to picture him staying on once his current contract ends. Maybe the team is looking for a fall guy, knowing they have a few hard years ahead. Something to go with another season of Adam Foote, saving the hires they want to make until the worst has passed.
Yes, that's a cynical take. But given the history of this team, with this ownership, it's not something to put past them.
The end of the 2025-26 season has arrived at long, long last. Exit media and player interviews have been had, an evaluation of - Sorry, what's this?
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/canucks-fire-general-manager-patrik-allvin-after-five-seasons/
Well, then. Suppose we should hold off until the President of Hockey Operations gets his notes together and -
Ah. Yes. That. Jim Rutherford's bit starts two hours and four minutes in, and I guess that's where we'll start.
So far, just the general manager has been fired. The reason, Rutherford says, is because the next general manager should decide how the team will react to a disastrous season. That means Coach Adam Foote is still most likely fired, but hasn't been yet.
That's good news. No, really! Rutherford is making a clear demarcation of responsibilities with that decision. Whether he will continue that self-imposed limit, well, that remains to be seen. In theory, the PoHO (there's gotta be a better acronym out there...) chooses the direction of the team, and the general manager executes that vision. But we all know Rutherford stepped in at a few vital points, possibly at the behest of ownership, to take power away from Allvin.
That can complicate any new search. The favourite is Ryan Johnson, who has run the Abbotsford Canucks to an AHL championship and signed a lucrative contract with the understanding he would get promotion to the big club before its term ended. Whether that's to general manager or an assistant GM position is unknown to us.
Rutherford has talked about expanding the search as widely as possible, but whoever comes here will want assurances. How much power will they actually have, what timeline is the team looking at, and what about the Sword of Damocles working an hour down the road? Not many qualified, veteran people would be thrilled with those working conditions.
This is a pretty good question, too. According to Rutherford, he had been thinking about the firing for several weeks, but didn't reach a decision until last night. That it was leaked by a Swedish magazine moved up the announcement, but was otherwise coincidental. Not sure I entirely believe that bit, but it doesn't change much in the big picture.
The first problem is that it delaying the hiring means other decisions will have to wait. That includes signing on scouting staff (or not), finding a new coaching staff (or not), and the amateur draft coming up. Given that Allvin came from the scouting world, that last was entirely in his hands, and he has the Air Miles to prove it.
Other coaches and general managers have been hired already, so another reason my be because the team really does want to have as many options as possible. The longer they wait, the more names are made unavailable. Or it may just be for show before they bring Johnson in and he calls up Manny Malhotra.
Rutherford reiterated that the team is undergoing a rebuild, and any new general manager will need to agree with that. Not a bad thing, but if anyone said differently that would be reason to end the interview early.
The Canucks need to have a rebuild, obviously. Step One is getting over the fear of saying that out loud. The fans in Vancouver aren't idiots. But they're also not made of money. The number of people willing to piss it away on the hobbled creature that appeared early in the season is diminishing. Losing isn't necessarily the thing that turns off fans: losing expensively can.
Whoever's hired as the next general manager is going to have to gain the trust of the fans. That includes having a plan that lasts longer than a few months. Hearing word of a ten-year plan is a bit silly, given the duration of most sports careers. But having a three-year plan to reach one point, then another from there, and another from there, can work for me.
As the team discovered just this season, times change, and so should goals. Vancouver wanted to be competing for a playoff spot as an eventual step to the Stanley Cup. That plan ended in December, and the stated goals soon followed.
Vern's talked about what they want to see from the team ASAP. The team got one thing off the list so far. The rest could take a bit longer.
The draft lottery is coming up in May. Until then? Smile, smile, smile!
Tanking News! Pointless! Just like the season.
Good news... IT'S OVER!
Here's what we learned:
Nucks spent most of the game on the penalty kill. Sometimes 4-on-5, mostly 5-on-5. Didn't matter.
McD and Oil were motivated to get the win to ensure home ice advantage in the 1st round of unpaid NHL hockey. Smart.
Nucks having won their last 3 games, weren't really motivated to take a 4 game win streak onto the golf course. No need to be showoffs.
What a relief! The season is over. It's in the record books. But not at the top (bottom?) of poor records. But still... the best worst season since the early 70s! Impressive work, eh, Footey.
#Canucks bottom five seasons by points percentage
— Adam Kierszenblat (@adamkblat.bsky.social) April 16, 2026 at 9:15 PM
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Looking For The Summer!
Period 1
Not the best period of road hockey the Nucks played all year. Even if it felt like the Nucks were a road hockey team getting smoked by an actual hockey team.
With that out of the way, McD setup some no-name winger for a hattie. Big whoop.
The most important goal and as it happened only Canucks goal was setup by our offensive-minded Lanky. After being frustrated by his own players inability to clear the zone and go get a goal, Lanky sent the puck out of the zone to Douglas. Who lofted a tall pass into the O-zone for Mueller who dekes out the pointless Oiler goalie for Ty's 1st NHL goal.
Nice to get your first NHL goal in front of the home crowd. 😎
-- Thursday
Better extend Douglas, he's turned into a point machine.
-- Ripper
Period ended with the Nucks down 4-1, getting outshot 13-5.
Altho... it's not all bad news...
#Canucks getting steamrolled tonight is the best scenario. Can't have Allvin twisting a 4 game win streak to end the season into any consideration other than a complete fire sale. Bring on emotion free playoff hockey!
— The King of Blind Bay (@imrealgoode.bsky.social) April 16, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Period 2
Nucks haven't featured well in 2nd periods this season. Possibly less featured than 1st and last periods.
On the curse-busting side, Nucks only gave up 1 goal in the entire period. A PP goal, of course.
Not only that, they managed to get out of their own end on their own PP and got a couple shots too!
Two shots! That's two whole shots in a row! #Canucks
— Ryan avgtraveller (@viewfromtherog.bsky.social) April 16, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Late in the period they added another shot! 5-on-5!
#Canucks only give ONE single PP goal and put 3 shots on goal. 2nd period tribulations obviously over for the season. As well as the season.
— NucksMisconduct (@nucksmisconduct.bsky.social) April 16, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Oilies outshot Nucks 14-3, which is why it was a 'featured' period.
Period 3
To continue with the great defensive news of the 2nd, Nucks continue to pile on the pressure during the 18 minute long Oil 5-on-5 PP.
Only gave up a single goal. And despite trailing 6-1 late 3rd, didn't give up a Footey!
Guess Footey felt that Lanky was one of the few Nucks with a point in the game, why spoil the narrative. Or something.
Just zero push right now. Stuck in the defensive end and holding on to survive. Not auspicious, gotta say.
-- Thursday
Not a great Nucks finish. Or start. Or middle.
But it's over. The game, the season is over. Thus ends our misery.
Assuming, Franny does the outraged owner thing and fire all the (mis)managers and coaches.
The dream of ending the nightmare begins...
Only question I want put to Foote is “what do you plan to do next, now that your time with the #Canucks is over?”
— puck2thehead.bsky.social (@puck2thehead.bsky.social) April 16, 2026 at 9:27 PM
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But what if continues...
How it’ll feel starting the 2026-27 #Canucks season if they bring the whole crew back
— Ian St. (@ian-st.bsky.social) April 16, 2026 at 9:57 PM
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Well, Ty Mueller got a highlight out of the game, anyway.
A total of 25 wins this season that was "Win for Quinn". Guess it was an accurate prediction!
-- Thursday
As bad as this season was, nothing was more shocking than seeing Quit out himself as a trump fan, act like a maga jerk, and pull the ol' Mariah Carey "I don't know her" about his former teammates like they were JLo 😂. Boy, you're good but you ain't no Mariah right now, not even close #Canucks
— lady🇨🇦 luck🇨🇦 canuck (@ladyluckcanuck.bsky.social) April 16, 2026 at 8:54 PM
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At least we won't see Evander Kane in a #Canucks jersey again 🤞
— lady🇨🇦 luck🇨🇦 canuck (@ladyluckcanuck.bsky.social) April 16, 2026 at 8:56 PM
#Canucks end this dismal season with the same number wins but MORE losses than the 1997-98 Vancouver Canucks, which was the worst Canucks team I had personally ever seen 🫠
— TheDarkCanuck🇨🇦 (@bigherbs.bsky.social) April 16, 2026 at 8:50 PM
OBSERVATIONS:
This miserable season is over. And it has taken its toll on us all.
If you didn't see his last game thread, Kent is hanging up the tear-stained NM keyboard. Kent has been the scathing voice of NM since 2009. He has contributed so much to our Nucking community.
Whenever we got too high on fake hope or too low on dismal moves, his sage advise:
"It's the Canucks, it can always get worse."
End of an era. Nucks Misconduct era. Kent is retiring from active scathing Nucking heavy metal vitriol. Since 2009, Kent has been a force, possibly for good, at Nucks Misconduct. Thanks, Kent, for all you've done! Kent's final #Canucks game preview: nucksmisconduct.ca/game-day-82-...
— NucksMisconduct (@nucksmisconduct.bsky.social) April 16, 2026 at 2:59 PM
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Thanks, Kent, from all of us at NM for being here, sharing your voice, your metal with us season after dreadful season. Be well, buddy and don't forget to write. Something scathing here, once in awhile.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
No Shortie, sorry. It's Homer Highlights only tonight. Best watched eyes closed, sound on mute.
Let's watch that last winning goal, one more time.
GAME STATS
COMMENTING OUT LOUD
Ty gets his 1st NHL goal and presser.
Footey with his last presser?
Don't feel bad about this terrible, disappointing season.
Be happy it's over. Wooooooooooooooooo!
Thanks to all who joined the game threads and commented all season long. Life in the stinky basement is tough, but we did it.
Have a great summer!
At long last, this torturous experiment, which has felt like near decades, is over. Oh, and it's the last game of this utterly cursed Canucks season, too!
Vancouver Canucks (25-48-8) vs. Edmonton Oilers (40-30-11)
Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB
6:00 pm PST; 9:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
This has been exhausting.
It's dragged on and on, and despite claims along the way that things were going to get better, it didn't. So finally, we can be put out of our misery for a couple weeks at least, and say good riddance to the 2025-26 Vancouver Canucks. In a season that started with a simple statement: A lot of things would have to go right for this team to make the playoffs, ended because quite simply, nothing went right at all.
It's going to take some time to perform the post mortem on this team, and go over everything that led to what is going to end up as quite likely the worst season in franchise history, given that they didn't have the expansion excuse from the team's early days. This was a frustrating, embarrassing, and unacceptable year, and you should expect massive, sweeping changes in the days ahead. You should also not get your expectations up for this, as I would be surprised if there were any changes that would impact the team in a positive way. Yeah, that's the level of confidence I have in this organization at the moment.
I do think it's a safe bet that the coaching staff is done here, and rightfully so. Adam Foote was a disastrous choice by the organization, clearly not ready to be an NHL coach, and if he ever could be, definitely not the right fit for this squad. There are a lot of things that need to happen to fix this god-awful mess, but this is absolutely Step One.
A house cleaning is what is needed here. New faces with new ideas and perspectives, because there just doesn't seem to be a plan right now at all, and the damage that has been development-wise up and down the lineup has been devastating. But most of all, it's time for new ownership.
The Aqualini family shouldn't be allowed within a thousand kilometers of a hockey franchise. Since the heartbreak of losing Game Seven in 2011, Francesco has been chasing that high, heavily involved in so many operational decisions, and they've all ended up in various incarnations of the flaming hubris we see before us. I realize it's too much to hope for another ownership group like the Canucks had in the Griffiths Family, but change has to come, and it cannot fully be realized under this ownership.
And so, with nothing left but a few possible moral victories tonight, the Canucks head into their final game of the season, and a chance to one last funny thing before they go. The outcome of this game can absolutely affect who the Edmonton Oilers play in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and while it's nowhere near anything that makes this season worth it, it's the least they can do for this fan base, who have suffered so much.
The Oilers could end up playing the Anaheim Ducks, or... with a loss, and a Kings win, face off against Los Angeles again in the first round, which is really a win/win/win, because there's two losers of three in whatever scenario happens here. And if things really go sideways for the Oilers, they'll drop to the WildCard Two slot, which means a date with the Colorado Avalanche. I would so love to see that, because the Avs will absolutely feast on the Oilers defense/goaltending. The Canucks need to do their part, and set the ball rolling for some post-season disappointment in Edmonton.
LINEUPS
From the nhl dot com dealy... here's what to expect tonight:
Canucks projected lineup
Drew O'Connor -- Marco Rossi -- Linus Karlsson
Liam Ohgren -- Teddy Blueger -- Brock Boeser
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Nils Hoglander
Curtis Douglas -- Ty Mueller -- Aatu Raty
Zeev Buium -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Kirill Kudryavtsev
Kevin Lankinen
Nikita Tolopilo
Scratched: Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Victor Mancini, Max Sasson
Injured: Filip Chytil (facial fracture), Thatcher Demko (hip surgery), Derek Forbort (undisclosed), Evander Kane (upper body)
Oilers projected lineup
Matthew Savoie -- Connor McDavid -- Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Jack Roslovic
Colton Dach -- Josh Samanski -- Trent Frederic
Curtis Lazar -- Adam Henrique -- Kasperi Kapanen
Mattias Ekholm -- Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse -- Connor Murphy
Jake Walman -- Ty Emberson
Connor Ingram
Tristan Jarry
Scratched: Owen Michaels, Spencer Stastney
Injured: Jason Dickinson (lower body), Leon Draisaitl (lower body), Mattias Janmark (shoulder), Max Jones (lower body)
Looks like no changes for the Canucks tonight, and I wouldn't read too much into Draisaitl being out, but it's telling that the Oilers are gonna be desperate for a win tonight with the lineup they're icing.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Much to Westy's delight, this will be the last battle hymn that isn't John Tesh adjacent. From their 2020 album 'A Silent Soul Screams Loud', this is PYOGENESIS, with 'Will I Ever Be The Same?'.
Well, this is the end of the road, for both the Canucks, and yours truly.
My journey with Nucks Misconduct is coming to a close, as of this last game preview. When I had first stumbled across the site back in early 2009 I think it was (or maybe 2008) I was doing a podcast called 'We Are All Canuckleheads', and was encouraged to post it in the Fanposts section. Zan and Yankee encouraged me to do a few writeups for the section, and a short time later, invited me to come aboard as a contributor. I had just finished a couple decades of music journalism (A music video show in Kamloops, a number of zines, and later, a radio show at CFBX Radio in Kamloops), so writing about hockey was new-ish for me. I had been around the old CDC boards back in the day, but still, after getting burnt out on music writing, this was a fresh challenge. What I hadn't counted on, was how things would take off the way they did. If you had told me that not long after I started, I would get mentioned in the Province (RIP Botch), get name dropped by Ron MacLean on HNIC, and be in the media scrums at the 2011 Finals, I would have laughed at you.
We've been through a lot, both as Canucks fans, and as the crew keeping this site going. While none of it has ended the way I had hoped, I will be eternally grateful for the chance to express my love and passion for this team, and the game of hockey, and for the incredible support we've received over the years.
I wanna thank Sean and Mike, for seeing something in me I didn't know existed. You took a gamble on me, and I hope it paid off for you. Thanks to Travis Hughes, and Steph Driver for all the amazing support and help as I went from occasional contributor to Editor, and back again.
To all of the folks who have had a cup of coffee and more with us, thank you. We've been an incredible stepping stone to some of the mainstays of coverage for fans in this market, and for that I will always be proud as hell.
I want to thank Trevor, who was amazing in the short time we had him, and who I was proud to share the leadership with. You'll always be a big part of this site's heritage, and we know what happened is not gonna stop you. You're way too talented for that.
Thursday, I feel like I didn't get to know you well enough, but I feel so good knowing that in my absence, there's someone like you putting together the kind of articles we built this site on. All the best, buddy!
And I couldn't wrap things up without thanking my wife Laurie, whose support, critical eye, occasional photoshop and editing advice helped make my contributions better. Love you, baby.
Finally, Jimmi and Westy. I feel like I am letting you guys down, but I suppose trying to keep going with nothing left in the tank could be viewed the same way. It has been an honour getting to know you guys, and I am proud of the way you both became such massive pieces of what makes NM like no other. I know the last few years have been rough, but the way you refused to let this site die, you should be proud as hell. Cheers, my friends. We'll have that beer one day, for sure.
And to all of you, from the beginning, to the end of my chapter. Thank you. It has been an honour to have you take time to hear what I had to say. I have some health challenges that leave me not able to keep doing this, but it's possible there might be an occasion or two where I pop in for a lil rant (if the guys will have me, that is).
Go Canucks Go.
We are finally here at the end of a gawdawful season. As we naturally look back at what went wrong (what didn't?) and, also, naturally look forward with the question “how the blazes does this team improve next year,” there are some obvious things that must be done. Well, obvious the average shmuck who watches this team, whether they are paying … how the frig much? That much? Holy jumpin …. Large sums of money to watch this disaster live or watching from home, and obvious to folks like yours truly, who was once paid to watch hockey games.
I’m staggered at the number of people who still support the guy. Game after game, he has been outcoached in the dynamic adjust-on-the-fly manner, as well as systems. In fact, it’s abundantly clear that Foote and systems go together roughly as well as me and my ex. Marcus Pettersson’s season has been horrible, because Pettersson – a systems guy has no clue where to be, entirely due to bad coaching. How bad a coach do you have to be to turn a perennial plus player into a defensive disaster? Adam Foote bad. I've seen more than a few BCHL teams with better systems than whatever the heck is going on in Vancouver this year. Even if someone can make a convincing argument that Foote was stuck in a bad position this year (You’d best buy me several adult beverages to make that argument stick), there are too many examples where Foote gave too much rope to veterans and failed to provide training and teaching to the youth. Perhaps I'm biased as a retired ink-stained wretch, but Foote is a very poor communicator to media, and in my experience, good coaches are good communicators. Foote is neither.
Examples of poor coaching include
After firing Foote, the next thing is
You can’t have a 32nd place effort without bad coaching on all fronts. This includes all the assistants, including goaltending coach Marko Torenius, who is an example of someone who has been promoted past their level of competence. As local goalie guru Kevin Woodley has aptly pointed out on dozens of occasions, the big club teaches completely different goaltending approaches than the AHL affiliate. That’s just plain stupid, and didn't happen when Ian Clark was on the clock. While we’re giving cardboard boxes to folks who are provided expanded opportunities to seek employment anywhere the frig else, the human performance staff need to be canned, en masse. The string of injuries this year was so significant that several major media outlets chronicled the issues. The team didn’t have as many injuries when Tony Twist made players sweat: correlation isn't causation, but still .... And, one more very important cardboard box:
Whether he’s directly in control, or the puppet at the end of Jim Rutherford’s strings, it makes no sense to keep the man as the team’s General Manager. He has screwed up almost every major decision since coming into control, starting with the bungled “we want to keep J. T. Miller instead of Bo Horvat” mess, and pretty much continuing down the line from there. The last thing we want is this dude picking Viggo Björck with the third pick this year (oh, come, if you don’t know the Canucks will be bounced to third with the draft lottery, you’ve not been a fan long enough) just because of the umlaut in the last name. There’s a long list of other things for the new GM to do, starting with:
The new coach must have the capacity to teach and train the youth. It will be important, as the roster of existing young talent, as well as a year-older Braeden Cootes and top-three draft pick will need guidance and support - something Adam Foote has utterly failed to provide. For the love of Pete (and every other player not named Pete) the guy or gal (let’s be open minded about this) must, must, must be a systems coach. Most of the problems this year result from Foote’s “system” such as it is being such a flustercluck. Get back to basics, teach the kids, and rebuild something. Anything. The key task for the new coach will be to build some culture, some identity. The GM can assist this by:
DeBrusk has been a massive disappointment, and this year, has only been able to score on the powerplay. Trading deBrusk clears the way for a younger player. Jonathan Lekkerimaki needs the chance to show whether he’s a top-six forward or a bottom-six bust. Speaking of busts,
Another of Allvin's bonehead decisions, was a predictable mess from the get-go.
Spending $13 million/year on he and the ever-injured Thatcher Demko makes no sense for a rebuilding team. No sane manager is going to touch Demko, but Lankinen is a competent backup and will fetch something from someone – maybe Edmonton, who always need a goaltender. (Might be able to fetch a decent forward in return and hey, that Podkolzin kid would look good in Canuck col….oh, right.) The primary reason to trade Lankinen is that Nikita Tolopilo, despite being jerked around by a coach who had every reason to play the kid and didn’t, might be very good if you have a competent goalie coach (see #2 above). To test whether that's the reality, the kid is going to need some playing time. Simply put, It takes time to grow netminders, and by the time Vancouver is legitimately looking at playoff contention, Demko will be either done because of injuries or done because of age, or both. Plan for the future, which may include Alexi Medvedev.
At this moment, it’s obvious EP40 is a bust, and everyone is abundantly aware that $11.6 million annually for a second-line centre who can’t score when it matters is going to be the albatross around the team’s neck for a long time. Nobody is going to want to trade for the guy, so the only option is to deal with it. The best way to do that is to take the kid gloves off, and give Pettersson some ultimatums: do the work to get into better shape, spend the summer learning how to skate, and build some kind of central core strength so that bitchy fans like me don’t end up having a collection of screengrabs showing one of the highest-played players in the NHL sprawled on the ice every. damned. game.
Nobody (including Rick Tocchet) has actually held the ever-moody forward to any degree of accountability, and for $11.6 million a year, that has to change. It might well be worth stripping EP40 of his alternate captaincy, because he's not got a drop of leadership in his veins, and benching Pettersson when necessary.
Non-Tanking News! 2 More Gratuitous Points!
Good news... Canucks WIN last home game! 3rd win in a row! It's a WIN STREAK! THREE GAME STREAK! Wooooooooooo!!!
Here's what we learned:
DeBrusk DeScored Twice. On the PP, of course and at odd strength in OT. Leads the team with 23 goals. Peaking at just the right time for a feel good summer movie theme.
Best part of this win was winning. Winning in the ROG over the Kings. Finally.
First 3 game win streak of 2026. In the 2nd to last game.
Exciting!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! #Canucks win their 39th Home Game! [checks notes] WIN their 9th home game of the season. Winning final ROG game should count as 20.
— NucksMisconduct (@nucksmisconduct.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 9:58 PM
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Tanks Off For The Summer!
Period 1
Wasn't looking forward to LA no event hockey. Media claims LA's snoozezone hockey style has changed since they fired their coach. Hard to tell in the last game in LA.
This isn't that game. This game the Nucks strutting a 2 game road win streak, weren't going to snooze. Or looze.
Nucks were taking it to the Kings right out of 1st face off. Pretty much.
And score first. Right off an O-zone face off. Mostly.
Nucks move the puck around the zone. Rossi passes to Kudryavtsev who quickly passes to D-Petey who pots a shot that Darcy can't stop.
1-0 Nucks.
Late in the period, LA gets a goal too, because Byfield reasons. Tied 1-1 after 1. Nucks outshoot LA 7-4.
One Pettersson scored tonight; two to go. Need all three, or it's not a real "Fan Appreciation Night"! Coconuts, Go! #Canucks
— Erin Butler (@eleighbutler.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 7:27 PM
Period 2
#Canucks start the most dreaded period on the PP. Shred the Dread!
— NucksMisconduct (@nucksmisconduct.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Nucks start the period on the PP. Because they ended the period on the PP. Zeev drew a call in the last 30 seconds of the 1st.
Nucks highly-ranked PP (14th in the NHL) goes to work. And DeBrusk DeScores the GWG. No, that's later. Jake scores another PP goal.
Nucks lead 2-1 and we're so winning.
12 seconds later LA scores. And a minute later LA scores again. 3-2 LA.
We're so not winning.
#Canucks shred the dread... then reanimate 2nd period curse with some carelessly crafted Footey-work.
— NucksMisconduct (@nucksmisconduct.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 8:05 PM
However, unlike a few or lots and lots of ROG games, Nucks don't collapse into their low confidence shell.
Nope. These Canucks just won 2 straight games against playoff teams. On the road. Ok, it was one playoff team and one wannabe playoff team, but still...
Zeev is on his game. Looking great since the 1st. Even better... Byfield breaks his stick on the FO. Petey wins it. And Zeev has more room to weave. He performs a sweet give 'n go with Hogz. And pots a goal into the near open net, since he and Hogz were giving and going so much.
Woooooo! We're winning 3-3!
Gooooooaaaaallllll!!!!!!! I'm going to take 1/2 points for this one @harsunderhunjan.bsky.social Great shift. #Canucks
— Ryan avgtraveller (@viewfromtherog.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 8:19 PM
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ZEEVIE WONDER! #Canucks
— CrankyCanucksFan 🇨🇦🏒 (@crankycanucksfan.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 8:20 PM
#Canucks win the tie in the 2nd period! Pretty much.
— NucksMisconduct (@nucksmisconduct.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 8:42 PM
LA outshot Nucks 15-11, end the period with a tie. Which we won.
Period 3
LA, who needed the win to solidify their place in the seedy world of NHL playoffs, were coming pretty hard on the Nucks. Lotsa of pressure, but Lanky absorbed the pressure and the puck. Pretty much. His D bailed him out on a couple dead pucks in the paint.
Period is pretty intense.
This game might be interesting after all!
-- Thursday
Ronnie started a fight with Joseph. The Joseph who plays for LA. After that Joseph cheapshotted Zeev into the boards.
Nuck PK finished off the LA PP and the period ended in the same tie as the 2nd. The which we won.
LA outshot Nucks 15-6.
Off to extra time. LA is good at losing those, Vancouver's good at winning them. Let's see what happens! Coconuts, Go! #Canucks
— Erin Butler (@eleighbutler.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 9:43 PM
OT
LA gets to OT for the 33rd time where they have lost so many games. Loser point Kings one might say.
And as storybook happy ROG endings go, this was a beauty.
Jake and Petey are passing back and forth. Incompletely. Which confuses LA. In the confusion, Petey jumps on the loose puck, passes it to DeBrusk for DeGame Winner! Woooo!
DeGAMEWINNER!!! #Canucks
— CrankyCanucksFan 🇨🇦🏒 (@crankycanucksfan.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 9:48 PM
DeGooooooaaaaallllll!!!!!!! Jake makes the home record slightly less terrible and send us off with a W. #Canucks
— Ryan avgtraveller (@viewfromtherog.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 9:49 PM
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Hahaaaaaaa! Take that you Los Angeles Losers #canucks
— 🇨🇦 BiPolar Guide 🇨🇦 pronouns: who, whom, whoever, whomever. (@bipolarguide.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 9:50 PM
Wonderful finish for the 9th win on home nice. Not enough wins, but this one was the best.
Hahaha, wowww!
A $300,000 first assist!!
Thank. You. Peteeeeyyy.
-- Atty
OBSERVATIONS:
THREE GAME WIN STREAK! One beautiful ROG win!
Players of Interest:
Three-game win streak! And somehow, DeBrusk realizes he can score at even strength, too!
Jake has taken the goals lead from Boeser with one game left. Use that as inspiration in Edmonton, guys!
-- Thursday
After a season full of home losses, the #Canucks get a perfectly timed W at Rogers Arena. Definitely has me more excited about next season than the black seats.
— CrankyCanucksFan 🇨🇦🏒 (@crankycanucksfan.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 9:57 PM
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Shortie and Dave in the ROG, one last time.
Full HOME OT Glory.
GAME STATS
COMMENTING OUT LOUD
DeScorer.
Ronnie appreciates the fans.
Zeev scores a sweet goal and a presser.
Footey with his last ROG presser? Tough gig in this market.
What a fun game! Wooooooooooooooooo!
Nucks spoil another playoff team's dream.
That's it for the ROG this season. Last game is on Thursday... finally.
10 p.m. ET; SNP, FDSNSC
Once more into the breach of tedious LA hockey. Only fitting the last home game of this long and tedious season would feature the Kings of Sleepy Hockey. We're so fortunate.
Coming home after the victorious tour of SoCal to face the tedium of the team that made the 1st game of the tour so tedious.
Maybe the freshly energetic young Canucks can push the tedium into the LA net multiple times. Or... pad that 8-32-5 home record to the 33rd side.
Final ROG game of the season... which is sorta weird. There's been ROG games this season that felt quite final. Over and over. And over.
Enjoy this actual final ROG game. If the Nucks can help us enjoy it, that'd be great.
Game Day Chatter
Asked #Canucks Tom Willander about the young guys becoming leaders. This was part of his answer: "I think it's obviously very important that the young guys come in and want to achieve something and they aren't just happy with being here."
— Adam Kierszenblat (@adamkblat.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 12:14 PM
If these are the final few games for Adam Foote, he will become the second coach in #Canucks to coach at least 70 games and record fewer than 30 wins. The only other coach on that list is Vic Stasiuk, who went 22-47-9 with Vancouver.
— Adam Kierszenblat (@adamkblat.bsky.social) April 14, 2026 at 12:59 PM
Game Day Lineups
Kings projected lineup
Artemi Panarin -- Anze Kopitar -- Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore -- Quinton Byfield -- Alex Laferriere
Joel Armia -- Scott Laughton -- Jared Wright
Mathieu Joseph -- Samuel Helenius -- Taylor Ward
Mikey Anderson -- Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson -- Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin -- Cody Ceci
Darcy Kuemper
Anton Forsberg
Scratched: Jacob Moverare
Injured: Jeff Malott (undisclosed), Alex Turcotte (undisclosed), Andrei Kuzmenko (meniscus)
Canucks projected lineup
Drew O’Connor -- Marco Rossi -- Linus Karlsson
Liam Ohgren -- Teddy Blueger -- Brock Boeser
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Nils Hoglander
Curtis Douglas -- Ty Mueller -- Aatu Raty
Zeev Buium -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Elias Pettersson -- Kirill Kudryavtsev
Kevin Lankinen
Nikita Tolopilo
Scratched: P.O. Joseph, Max Sasson, Victor Mancini
Injured: Evander Kane (undisclosed), Filip Chytil (facial fracture), Thatcher Demko (hip surgery), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Status report
The Kings did not hold a morning skate after a 5-3 win at the Seattle Kraken on Monday. ... Kuemper is expected to start after Forsberg started the previous four games. ... The Canucks will dress the same 18 skaters they used in a 4-3 overtime win at the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.
Game Day Battle Hymn
Keep on keepin' on. Maybe winning, maybe losing. Going out in style. Maybe.
F*uck the war mongering fascists and enjoy the game. As best you can.
Two more games left. Last home game. If by some miracle, the Canucks (snicker) win (chortle) tonight, they will escape the dubious distinction of having the worst home-ice record in the expansion era.
As if.
So here's tonight's TANKO, the bingo-like chronicling of the Canucks' ineptitude.
Two more games. Then hopefully some people lose their jobs, and we can get on with losing the draft lottery, m'kay?
| T | A | N | K | O |
| Less than 20 shots on goal | Rookie makes mistake, minutes reduced | Video review goes against the Canucks | Opposition has a player out-scoring EP40 at less cost | Jake DeBrusk fails to score |
| Player/coach mentions “system,” whatever that means | EP40 <50% in faceoff circle | Video review goes against the Canucks | Atu Raty barely given ice time. | PO Joseph out of position on a goal |
| Blundered line change. | Opponent scores hat-trick | Thatcher Demko injured | Brock Boeser held goal-less | Outscored in second period |
| Radio/TV mentions Gavin McKenna | Canucks penalized in the last three minutes of the game | Canucks Shut Out | Coach says “resilient/resilience” at game-day skate/pregame | Opposition player bumps scoring slump |
| Opposition scores 5 or more goals | Opposition scores empty-net goal | Penalty kill surrenders goal | Power play fails to score | EP 40 fails to get a shot on goal. Again. |
If you win, slap the result into bluesky with a #canucks #tanko hashtag. And remember, just like the kid that finishes last at the elementary school track meet three-legged race, you're winner for participating.
After a Kings game that was the visual equivalent of a slightly squeaky desk fan, the rest of California paid off. Back-to-back wins against San Jose and Anaheim were a shining moment in a gloomy season. Do they mean anything, though?
At the tail end of arguably the worst season in Canucks history, fans can be excused for tuning out the team. After finishing last in the league was assured, what other reason was there to watch? Improvement from the special teams? Yeah, that's happened, but it's not exactly what sells tickets.
One shootout win and one overtime win later, and actually, there's a lot that's fun here! It's just that we need an opposition that is also slightly disastrous in their own end. The Ducks are going to be an interesting watch in the offseason, with three of their veteran, right-side defencemen all becoming unrestricted free agents. The Sharks, on the other hand, seem to regard having right-side defencemen as optional rather than mandatory.
Sure, I mock the defence of teams well ahead of Vancouver in the standings - and in their rebuilds - but it's with love. Those two games were a blast to watch, relative to the dreck we've been fed recently. And it's not really the fault of individual players when the systems are either not applied well (Vancouver's case) or geared toward scoring (also Vancouver's case, but include the other two as well).
But let's focus on the Canucks. Because what happened on the defence is actually pretty interesting.
The top four went unchanged for this road swing. Zeev Buium was with Filip Hronek, and Tom Willander stuck to Marcus Pettersson. As a third pair, Elias Pettersson the Defenceman was matched with Victor Mancini one night, Pierre-Olivier Joseph another, and Kirill Kudreyavtsev on the third.
In theory, Kudreyavstev is the one who shouldn't be here. My "2025-26 season longshot" was him reaching 40 NHL games, so it's not like he's a bad player. He doesn't really stand out, though. He's not particularly fast, certainly not big, and isn't much of a threat to score. Mancini beats him on all three counts, if we want to compare. But he is sharp.
Kudreyavtsev can read plays extremely well. He gets to the right spot at the right time, often stopping plays before they become dangerous. He could easily be Vancouver's 6/7 defender next season, taking Joseph's place. Pretty amazing, given his seventh-round draft lineage.
Getting 14 minutes in a tight game - even lis late in the season - is a show of confidence. For pretty good reason.
Possibly the best moment of the weekend came when the 26-year-old rookie Curtis Douglas scored his first NHL goal. That was genuine excitement, not just from him but from his teammates. His emotion after the game was marvellous to hear, too. That is, not to put too fine a point on it, the sort of thing we need to see around the team. We can forgive a bad team. We can't forgive one that doesn't care.
Seeing Kudreyavtsev celebrating with Douglas gives a nostalgic Tyler Myers - Conor Garland feel, too. And that's nice.
Speaking of our local behemoth, guess who challenged notorious brawler Radko Gudas? That's right, Teddy Blueger! If he had just gotten an assist in Los Angeles before his goal in San Jose, he could have picked up the single-state Gordie Howe hat trick. In a league that is low on free agent centres - and centres in general - whatever decision the team makes on Blueger will have good arguments on both sides. We'll get into that in another week or so.
The quartet out on the ice for an overtime power play was an interesting look, too. The "Minnesota Trio" of Marco Rossi, Liam Öhgren, and Zeev Buium were joined by actual Minnesotan Brock Boeser to finish the 4-on-3, and it worked. Granted, a 4-on-3 usually does, but if you wanted a quick look into Vancouver's future, there are worse moments.
The worst part about watching late games in a failed season is that "but what does this mean for next season" is a constant, intrusive thought. But sometimes, that can be optimistic, too.
Non-Tanking News! 2 More Gratuitous Points!
Good news... Canucks WIN a game! 2nd win in a row! It's a WIN STREAK! Wooooooooooo!!!
Here's what we learned:
Who woulda thought the Nucks having won in Lanky time, would fluck the Ducks too?
Winning both games of a road B-2-B?! Incredible.
First 2 game win streak of 2026. In April. Canucks peaking at just the right time.
Exciting!
The #Canucks put a dent in two division rivals playoff hopes by picking up back-to-back winners for the first time in 2026 thanks to one of the hottest power plays in the league despite Vancouver already securing 32nd place.
— Adam Kierszenblat (@adamkblat.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Tanks off For The Summer!
Period 1
The Ducks were primed to secure their playoff spot with a win. Canucks were primed to Nuck the Ducks.
Goonass put a nasty (allegedly clean) open ice hit on Ohgren - or Ohgroan in the moment. Immediately Teddy steps up to the goon and crosschecks him. The goon doesn't want to fight. Yet. Teddy to the box.
Just as the penalty expires the Ducklings score.
Doesn't matter.
Mueller gets through center ice, over the blueline, crosses to the middle drops for Kudryavtsev, who put a puck on net. Douglas is first on the rebound and pots his 1st Canucks goal, his 1st NHL goal!
Douglas F, F, Fir First! @ralphintheridge.bsky.social #canucks
— 🇨🇦 BiPolar Guide 🇨🇦 pronouns: who, whom, whoever, whomever. (@bipolarguide.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Genuinely one of the best highlights of the #Canucks season seeing Douglas get first career goal.
— Daniel Fung (@danielfung.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 5:32 PM
And big mean Nucks are just getting started. Minute later, Goonass finally drops the gloves. With Teddy!
Blueger doesn't aim low, taking on Gudas! Didn't wait for Douglas to take that, either.
-- Thursday
A Curtis Douglas goal and a Teddy Blueger fight all in the span of a few minutes. And some people say #Canucks hockey is not fun.
— Adam Kierszenblat (@adamkblat.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 5:40 PM
#Canucks I love Blueger’s fighting spirit but a go fund me page is required to get him some fight survival skills from Tiger Williams.
— JDavid (@jdavidh.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Meanwhile back on the PP, DeNucks score from DeWicked tip. Debrusk up to 21 goals. 18 on the PP!
We're just gonna give DeBrusk two-minute shifts now, aren't we? Or however long the power plays last.
-- Thursday
Looking for the Howe hattie, Douglas fights Viel. And pretty much won.
Nucks lead 2-1 after 1. Outshooting the home fowl 10-9.
Right, then! Clearly, we need to get DeBrusk out there on a line with Curtis Douglas for the power play. Go for that Gordie Howe! #Canucks
— Erin Butler (@eleighbutler.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 5:54 PM
Period 2
This was a classic Sutherland reffed period. No penalties called.
Neither Nucks nor fowl score.
The #canucks look like the better team right now. How is that possible if you’re the worst team in the league? It’s a mystery. 🤷♂️
— 🇨🇦 BiPolar Guide 🇨🇦 pronouns: who, whom, whoever, whomever. (@bipolarguide.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 6:35 PM
In a year where nothing has made sense beating a team on the road that is trying to win the division makes all the sense in the world. I think?
— DJTaxman77 (@taxman77.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Canucks are keeping the Ducks off the scorecard. In a 2nd period!
Wooooooooo! #Canucks make it through another 2nd period while preserving the tie +1.
— NucksMisconduct (@nucksmisconduct.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Period 3
Nucks still leading 2-1 after 2. And now to start the 3rd.
With Sutherland not doing his job, A big Duck runs over Tolo in his crease. To take a shortcut to get to the puck on the boards? What?!!
Tolo gets bowled over, no call. Sutherland rules, ue #Canucks.
— NucksMisconduct (@nucksmisconduct.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Then things take a Nucking turn. Nucks looking like a team that played the night before. Getting a hemmed in a bit. DOC takes a call for Delay of Game. Sutherland could see that, huh?
Anyhow on the PK, Bess steals the puck and skates down on Downstall and pots a shortie up high.
Brock Boeser had the answer for the absurd non-call. Fucking rights! #Canucks
— CrankyCanucksFan 🇨🇦🏒 (@crankycanucksfan.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:16 PM
Nucks leading 3-1. That 3rd goal is quite important.
Flucking Ducks finish their interrupted PP by scoring. It's 3-2 in the Disney Center for Annoying Fans.
Worse, under more Ducking pressure, Ronnie - who wasn't having a good game - hammers the puck from behind his net for the clear. Except it bounces off the glass weirdly. Gets out front. And faster than you can say Fluck A Duck, it's tied.
#Canucks looking a bit tired in their own end and ooopsies happen. Tie is back on the menu.
— NucksMisconduct (@nucksmisconduct.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Also... no need to fact check the worst team in the league is there?
The #Canucks recorded 10 shots in the first period. They then record a total of 9 over the next 40 minutes.
— Adam Kierszenblat (@adamkblat.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Just like last game last night... We're going to OT.
OT
The usual puck-ragging happens. Fowllings win the FO and get possession for the first bit. However, Nucks regain the puck and DOC draws a call.
It's Nucks 4-on-3 PP time!
Nucks 1st unit is looking good. Downstall is looking better. Duckings are getting their stick broken, but Nucks can't get a goal. Until the 2nd unit gets to work. With mere seconds left.
Öhgren to Zeev to Rossi to Zeev to Rossi shooting. And scoring! Woooooooo!
W00T! ROSSI ENDS IT!
The Minnesota Trio gets the goal: Rossi from Buium and Öhgren.
-- Thursday
MarcOT-GOAL Rossi! #Canucks
— Ryan avgtraveller (@viewfromtherog.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Fuck the Ducks - WOOOO #Canucks!!!!!
— CrankyCanucksFan 🇨🇦🏒 (@crankycanucksfan.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:53 PM
That was GLORIOUS!!!!! Yippee! Fun? Wow! #canucks
— 🇨🇦 BiPolar Guide 🇨🇦 pronouns: who, whom, whoever, whomever. (@bipolarguide.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:53 PM
WOOOOOOOOO! ROSSI WINS It For #Canucks with mere or mouse seconds to spare!
— NucksMisconduct (@nucksmisconduct.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:54 PM
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Great Nucking game. At just the right time of the season! 2 Game Win streak! Plan the Parade!
We took a game to OT at least twice and win both of them. That is so #Canucks
— Atinna Gunawan (@atinnag.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:53 PM
OBSERVATIONS:
After the beautiful Lanky time win last night, we didn't need to spoil the Ducklings hopes. But it was fun to see.
Players of Interest:
Getting spoiled?
Sweet . Our new mission is to try and mess up chances for other teams to get into the playoffs., and we’re good at it. Well done boys. #canucks
— Terry & dog 🦮...🇨🇦🍁 (@aweebitdaft.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Dinner at the Blue Bayou for these guys. Gutsy four points on a back-to-back AND they keep the Ducks from clinching tonight. Great work. #Canucks
— Lachlan Irvine (@lachinthecrease.com) April 12, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Sweet!! The tanked team making sure that other teams really really earn their playoff spots!! Boeser is really stepping up this year. 💙💚🏒🎉🥰 #Canucks
— 🇨🇦Cathy Canucks(🇬🇱🇺🇦) (@cathyrd.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Gutsy win at a critical point in the season.
The Minnesota Trio ends the game for Vancouver: Rossi from Buium and Öhgren. #Canucks win two in a row for the first time since December. W00T!
— Erin Butler (@eleighbutler.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 7:54 PM
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Shortie and Dave in the Duck pond.
Full OT Glory.
GAME STATS
COMMENTING OUT LOUD
Teddy the Fighter.
Footey with his 3rd last presser? More points for those predicting the 'resilient' keyword.
What a fun game! What a great road trip! Other than how it started.
Couldn't have a happier ending in a Disney hockey flic.
Nucks back in the ROG on Tuesday for their last home game of the season. Which isn't fair. We won 2 games! In a row!
