The Vancouver Canucks’ Drew O’Connor, right, and the Ducks’ Jeffrey Viel get into a scuffle during the first period on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Vancouver Canucks’ Marcus Pettersson, left, and the Ducks’ Jansen Harkins collide during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Ducks’ Ryan Poehling (25) crashes into Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo (60) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo, right, stops the Ducks’ Ryan Poehling as Poehling crashes into him during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo (60) stops the Ducks’ Cutter Gauthier (61) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson skates before a game against the Ducks in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Ducks’ Ross Johnston, right, checks the Vancouver Canucks’ Tom Willander during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Ducks’ Ross Johnston, right, checks Vancouver Canucks’ Tom Willander during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo, left, makes a save as the Canucks’ Elias Pettersson (25) and the Ducks’ Chris Kreider (20) watch during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Vancouver Canucks’ Tyler Myers (57) and the Ducks’ Ryan Poehling (25) vie for the puck as the Canucks’ Linus Karlsson (94) watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo watches as the Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke, left, controls the puck in front of him during the second period on Thursday night in Vancouver, B.C. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson (25) avoids a collision with the Ducks’ Alex Killorn (17) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo, left, comes back into the game after goalie Kevin Lankinen started the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Ducks, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal can’t stop a goal by the Vancouver Canucks’ Drew O’Connor, not pictured, during the third period of a game, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Vancouver Canucks’ Drew O’Connor (18), Jake DeBrusk (74) and Aatu Raty (54) celebrate O’Connor’s goal against the Ducks during the third period of an NHL hockey game, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Vancouver Canucks’ Drew O’Connor, back left to right, Elias Pettersson, Aatu Raty, Filip Hronek and Jake DeBrusk, hidden, back center, celebrate O’Connor’s goal against Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, right, during the third period on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Vancouver Canucks’ Drew O’Connor (18), Jake DeBrusk (74) and Aatu Raty (54) celebrate O’Connor’s goal against the Ducks during the third period of an NHL hockey game, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, left, makes the save as teammate Olen Zellweger, right, checks the Vancouver Canucks’ Conor Garland during the third period on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, back center, comes back onto the ice after the Vancouver Canucks scored into the empty net during the third period in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Vancouver Canucks’ Drew O’Connor (18) skates with the puck while being watched by the Ducks’ Ian Moore (74) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, in Vancouver, on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal (1) and Pavel Mintyukov (98) watch the puck during the third period of a game against the Vancouver Canucks, in Vancouver, on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Ducks’ Ian Moore (74) takes a shot on goal while being checked by the Vancouver Canucks’ Evander Kane (91) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, in Vancouver, on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo, center, skates past Chinese lion dancers before an NHL hockey game against the Ducks in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
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The Vancouver Canucks’ Drew O’Connor, right, and the Ducks’ Jeffrey Viel get into a scuffle during the first period on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — A five-game trip that started with a bang ended with a fizzle for the up-and-down Ducks.
Nikita Tolopilo made 32 saves in his seventh NHL start, Drew O’Connor opened the scoring with 9:42 left and the last-place Vancouver Canucks beat the Ducks, 2-0, on Thursday night.
Tolopilo, who moved up the depth chart this week after Thatcher Demko underwent season-ending hip surgery, was denied his first NHL shutout after missing the first 2:11 of the second period after a collision with Ryan Poehling late in the first period.
Lukas Dostal made 24 saves for the Ducks (28-23-3), who extended a seven-game winning streak with victories in Colorado, Seattle and Calgary to begin their trip before losses to Edmonton and Vancouver (18-31-5), which had dropped 14 of its previous 15 games (1-12-2).
“It was a tough one,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville told NHL.com. “The game was on the line almost the whole game. Whoever scored first had a pretty good opportunity to get two (points).”
O’Connor broke the scoreless tie at 10:18 of the third period on a one-timer from the right hash marks that went in off the shoulder of Dostal sliding across his crease. Jake DeBrusk, playing his 600th NHL game, set up the winning goal by knocking down a clearing attempt by Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba along the left boards and skating it to the face-off dot before passing across to O’Connor.
“We were playing a pretty good period and playing the score, sure outs is something we talk about and next it’s in our net,” Quenneville told NHL.com of the failed clear. “But it can happen in the game like that. That’s why we want to make sure.”
Dostal said he felt he was in a good spot, but the pass was on end and the puck fluttered up.
“He whiffed on it. It’s one of those that if he would get a full shot, I thought my timing was perfect for the full shot, but because he whiffed on it, it came a little bit slower and it got my shoulder and my helmet,” Dostal told NHL.com. “As a goalie guy, you know once he goes right between the ear and shoulder, it’s very hard to pick up, and especially when the puck is almost like a butterfly. Just probably got to keep my shoulders a little bit higher.”
Cutter Gauthier had appeared to score for the Ducks on a rebound on the play where Poehling collided with Tolopilo, but the goal was immediately waved off and Poehling was penalized for goaltender interference.
Tolopilo stayed in the game, but was replaced by Kevin Lankinen to begin the second period before coming back in. Lankinen made one save before Tolopilo returned.
Tolopilo’s best saves included stops on a Beckett Sennecke chance from the left side during a first-period power play, a Gauthier shot from the left dot off the rush at 5:30 of the third and a Chris Kreider wrist shot from the left circle with 5:45 left.
Teddy Blueger iced the win for Vancouver with an empty-net goal with 28 seconds left during a 6-on-4 advantage for the Ducks, who had pulled Dostal for the extra skater prior to a slashing penalty against Conor Garland at 19:11.
“End of a long road trip, tie game going to third, one of those things where just a little mistake is the reason we end up losing the game,” Ducks forward Alex Killorn told NHL.com. “We just can’t get shut out. We’ve got to do a better job producing offense.”
Dostal had to make just one save through the first 13½ minutes of the game, but the Canucks had two power plays in the final five minutes of the period and Dostal came up with eight saves in that span to keep the game scoreless entering the second.
Vancouver also had no shots on goal through the first eight minutes of the second period.
Both teams went 0 for 3 on the power play.
The Ducks continued to play without their top two centers, Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish, and right wing Troy Terry.
Carlsson missed his ninth consecutive game because of a left thigh injury that will keep him out through the Olympic break.
McTavish missed his fifth straight with an upper-body injury and Terry missed his 11th in a row with an upper-body injury despite flying to Vancouver to rejoin the team at practice on Wednesday and hoping to play. Quenneville told NHL.com that Terry “came out of it a little sore” but should return for Sunday’s home game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
UP NEXT
The Ducks host Vegas on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.