The Vancouver Canucks made history last week with their franchise-worst 11th straight loss, but also finally won a game by beating the Washington Capitals 4-3 to halt the streak at 11. However, they couldn’t make it back-to-back wins for the first time since Dec. 20, as they fell to the New Jersey Devils on Friday, 5-4, and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, 3-2. They are now five games into their eight-game homestand and have only one win so far, still sitting 32nd in the league at 39 points.
With that, here is the schedule and storylines heading into the week of Jan. 26 – Feb. 2, as the Canucks look to end the homestand on a positive note before they head back onto the road.
Boeser Injured in Final Seconds of Loss to Penguins
After returning to the goal column recently with three goals in his last six games, Brock Boeser could be out a while after receiving an elbow to the head from Bryan Rust on Sunday. Head coach Adam Foote called it a “vicious head shot” with Jake DeBrusk adding that he thought it was a “pretty dirty play.”
Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)
Foote didn’t have any update on Boeser’s status, so we will have to wait until later today to find out more. He also said that he believes the league will look at it and potentially add some supplementary discipline on top of the two-minute minor for “illegal check to head” Rust received at the 20-minute mark.
Following the Canucks’ 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders on Monday (Jan. 19), Foote had some choice words for his veterans, criticizing their attitude and lack of compete after things don’t go their way on the ice. In the next game against the Capitals, the veterans responded with a 4-3 comeback win after trailing 2-0 in the first period. Boeser, DeBrusk, and David Kampf led the way with two points each, and Filip Hronek scored what ended up being the game-winner in the second to snap their franchise-worst skid.
Related: 5 Rumoured Trade Destinations for Canucks’ Elias Pettersson
After the game, Boeser discussed the response and what his head coach had to say on Monday: “It’s the truth,” he said. “We can’t have that bad body language and the negative attitude on the bench. You can’t show that to the young guys. We’ve got to be good leaders and good role models and be positive. I thought we were tonight, and I felt that that helped us play a better hockey game.”
The Canucks extended that resilience to Friday’s game, even though they ended up losing 5-4. They trailed 3-0 at one point, but rallied to bring it to a nailbiter in the final seconds. O’Connor was just inches away from tying it, but missed high over the shoulder of Jacob Markstrom. They did the same thing against the Penguins on Sunday, but instead of missing the net, it was Boeser getting stymied by Stuart Skinner.
All in all, despite losing two of the three games since Foote’s comments, the veterans responded to their coach’s call. That’s a good sign for the rebuild going forward.
Chytil & Blueger Finally Return
This past week finally saw the returns of Filip Chytil and Teddy Blueger to the lineup. Blueger played his first game since Oct. 19 on Wednesday, and Chytil did the same on Friday. Blueger didn’t take long to get back onto the scoresheet, scoring his second of the season against the Devils and his third against the Penguins.
New Jersey Devils defesneman Dougie Hamilton defends against Vancouver Canucks forward Filip Chytil (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)
Chytil, meanwhile, played 18:29 against the Devils and had two shots on goal alongside a solid 61.5 percent in the faceoff dot. He followed that up with 16:59 against the Penguins and looked no worse for wear after missing three months with another concussion. Here’s to hoping he can follow in Sidney Crosby’s footsteps and avoid them for the rest of his career.
Stars & Avalanche Rumoured as Top Destinations for Kane
Speaking of trades, the Canucks made their second rebuild-type deal by sending Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks for two second-round picks and Cole Clayton on Monday. They might be making their third very soon – maybe as soon as the Feb. 4 roster freeze, as Evander Kane’s name has started to gain traction in the rumour mill.
The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche are reportedly the top two teams interested in Kane’s services. The Los Angeles Kings have also been discussed, with Kane’s former GM, Ken Holland, now at the controls in LA. While he has been up and down with the Canucks this season (currently on the upswing with two goals in his last four games), he is a proven playoff performer who can still add a lot to a contender.
Harman Dayal of The Athletic believes that with Kane’s recent play, the Canucks could receive a second-round pick, which would be a coup considering they only had to give up a fourth to get him from the Edmonton Oilers (from ‘What I’m seeing from the Canucks: Kane’s trade value, Mancini’s future, more,’ The Athletic, 1/23/26).
Canucks Schedule Jan. 26 – Feb. 2
DateOpponentTime (PT)LocationNotesTues, Jan. 27San Jose Sharks7:00 PMRogers ArenaSherwood’s potential return to VancouverThurs, Jan. 29Anaheim Ducks7:00 PMRogers ArenaPacific Division matchupSat, Jan. 31Toronto Maple Leafs7:00 PMRogers ArenaAnnual visit from Matthews and co.Mon, Feb. 2@ Utah Mammoth6:30 PMDelta CenterStill searching for first win against Mammoth/Utah HC
