The Vancouver Canucks delivered a strong performance against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, securing a solid 6-2 victory at home. The Canucks dominated the first period with five goals, with Brock Boeser contributing a goal and an assist to the commanding start. In addition to Boeser, Connor Garland, Filip Hronek, Dakota Joshua, Max Sasson, and rookie defenseman Elias Pettersson found the back of the net for Vancouver. Quinn Hughes aided the effort with two assists, while goaltender Thatcher Demko was impressive with 32 saves, pulling the Canucks six points closer to Minnesota in the race for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Despite providing a challenging start, Anaheim’s Troy Terry was able to score early on the Ducks’ first shot just 1:22 into the game, initially giving the team a 1-0 advantage. Trevor Zegras later added a goal for Anaheim to put up their second and final goal of the match. Duck’s goaltender Lukas Dostal made 30 saves but couldn’t stave off Vancouver’s onslaught.
Vancouver’s resilience was on full display as they rebounded from conceding an early goal to take control of the game with six successful shots on goal. The Canucks have experienced a strong run, winning 10 of their last 11 encounters against the Ducks. Vancouver showed their ability to overcome initial setbacks, notching their sixth goal for the fifth time this season after conceding first within the initial five minutes of play.
For Anaheim, who sit 12th in the Western standings and are already out of playoff contention, Terry became their fourth player to reach 20 goals this season. He joins Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, and Frank Vatrano in hitting this milestone.
Elias Pettersson marked a significant moment by tying the score 1-1 with his debut NHL goal at 9:40 in the first period, following an impressive assist from Linus Karlsson. Subsequently, Hronek managed to deflect a shot by Teddy Bleuge 66 seconds later, securing the lead for the Canucks. Boeser and Garland then capitalized on power plays, while Joshua completed the scoring spree, enlarging Vancouver’s lead to 5-1 by the end of the first period.
A significant statistic of the game is the Ducks yielding 78 goals in the first period this season, placing them third in the NHL for first-period goals allowed, only behind San Jose and Seattle.
Looking ahead, Anaheim will face the Edmonton Oilers in a home game on Monday, while the Canucks will meet the Vegas Golden Knights at home on Sunday.