Canucks Finish Losing Streak, Defeat Blackhawks 6-3 Amid Trade Deadline Aftermath

CHICAGO – Brock Boeser scored the tiebreaking goal on a power play at 2:40 of the third period, lifting the Vancouver Canucks to a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak for Vancouver, which had been mired in a slump since January 29th.

Trade Deadline Relief for Canucks

The game marked the first for both teams following the NHL trade deadline, and a sense of relief was palpable in the Canucks’ locker room. Vancouver had been significantly impacted by trade activity, dealing away defensemen Tyler Myers to Dallas and winger Conor Garland to Columbus. Earlier, the Canucks traded captain Quinn Hughes to Minnesota in December.

“You could feel before the game that guys were just kind of, you know, excited to play and I think looking forward to the rest of the way here, just knowing this is the group we’re going with,” veteran winger Drew O’Connor said. “It felt fine, kind of a weight off our shoulders.”

Several Canucks players who were subject to trade speculation remained with the team, including Teddy Blueger and Boeser. General manager Patrik Allvin indicated he received no offers for Blueger, and plans to allow free-agent-eligible Evander Kane to finish the season with the team before entering free agency.

Game Recap

Boeser’s game-winning goal came off a rebound from a shot by Linus Karlsson, deflecting off the stick of Chicago goaltender Arvid Soderblom. He added an empty-net goal to seal the victory. Max Sasson similarly scored into an empty net.

Drew O’Connor, Jake DeBrusk, and Teddy Blueger all scored in the first period to give Vancouver an early lead. Nikita Tolopilo stopped 20 shots for the Canucks.

For the Blackhawks, Ryan Donato, Ilya Mikheyev, and Frank Nazar scored. Soderblom made 16 saves in the loss. Chicago also traded forward Nick Foligno to Minnesota before the game, allowing the Foligno brothers to play together in pursuit of a Stanley Cup.

Blackhawks Adjustments and Canucks Additions

The Blackhawks acquired Andrew Mangiapane from Edmonton on Wednesday, and he made his debut in the game. The Canucks, meanwhile, claimed forward Curtis Douglas off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Douglas, a six-foot-nine forward, brings size and physicality to the Vancouver lineup.

“With our young guys in the lineup … I want the players to feel safe,” Allvin explained. “I don’t want them to get beaten up. And we’ve been looking for a player like this with more size, physicality. So when he was available here … we felt that would be a good fit for us.”

Looking Ahead

The Canucks (19-36-7) will continue their road trip against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. The Blackhawks (23-29-10) will appear to rebound from the loss in their next game.