On Saturday night in Vancouver, Erik Brannstrom scored the pivotal goal early in the third period, leading the Canucks to a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The victory was solidified by two late empty-net goals from J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes, putting a finishing touch on the match that also saw standout performance from goaltender Arturs Silovs, who made 28 saves throughout the game.
The scoring action began with former Canuck Ilya Mikheyev, who gave Chicago an early advantage by netting the opening goal at 6:50 of the first period. Mikheyev managed to flip a rebound past Silovs, putting his old team on the back foot. However, Vancouver quickly made a comeback as Elias Pettersson tied the game in the second period, cleverly redirecting a no-look pass from Miller past Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom off the skate of Connor Murphy.
Brannstrom then delivered a crucial one-timer, directing a deflected puck from the left boards into the net through Soderblom’s legs, marking the Canucks’ emergence in the second half of the game. This victory was especially significant after the Canucks suffered a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders just two nights earlier, showcasing improvement as the game progressed against the Blackhawks.
Despite being projected as a star, Connor Bedard, skating on Chicago’s first line alongside Ryan Donato and Philipp Kurashev, had yet another scoreless game, marking a third consecutive outing without registering a point. A critical moment in the match occurred with 5:45 left in the second period when Silovs made a remarkable pad save to deny Nick Foligno during a breakaway while the score was still tied at one.
Pettersson’s power-play goal marked his fifth of the season and was notably his fourth in just six games, illustrating his rising form. Looking ahead, the Canucks will be playing their first set of back-to-back games this season, starting with a matchup against the Nashville Predators on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks will return home for a two-game homestand against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.