After one other disappointing loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, the Vancouver Canucks welcomed the league-leading Washington Capitals to Rogers Enviornment for a Hockey Night time in Canada tilt. The Capitals have been coming off a 3-0 shutout of the Seattle Kraken and hadn’t misplaced in regulation in 12 video games, so the betting odds have been largely on the street staff’s aspect going into this one. However, there’s a cause they play the video games, because the Canucks ended up beating the chances and walked away with a tight 2-1 victory. Led once more by their captain Quinn Hughes, his two targets have been all they wanted to dispatch the Capitals and provides the Presidents’ Trophy frontrunners solely their eleventh regulation lack of the season. Right here’s your recreation recap.
Recreation Recap
The Capitals got here out of the gates scorching within the first interval leaping out to an early 4-0 lead on the shot clock, however Kevin Lankinen stood tall within the Canucks internet holding it scoreless. The Canucks ultimately acquired on the board first at 12:23, with the same old suspect of Quinn Hughes including to his level complete together with his thirteenth objective and 53rd level of the season. After some nice work by Nils Hoglander alongside the boards, defending the puck in opposition to Trevor van Riemsdyk, he fed Hughes on the blue line who then lower right down to the web and backhanded it previous Charlie Lindgren. The Capitals had a pair possibilities after that to tie the sport, however Lankinen as soon as once more shut the door to maintain his staff forward going into the second interval.
Backhand shot proper on course. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/AILuIh9nyj
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 26, 2025
Just like the Capitals within the first interval, the Canucks managed play to start out the second. They virtually elevated their result in two early on, however the put up foiled J.T. Miller as he deked round Lindgren after a set play slapper off the tip boards. The Canucks did find yourself getting the 2-0 lead a minute later although when Hughes walked alongside the blue line and despatched a seeing-eye wrist shot by means of visitors to the highest nook of the web for his fifteenth of the season. With it, he tied the Columbus Blue Jackets Zach Werenski on the high of the leaderboard amongst defencemen, notching his 54th level. The remainder of the interval was largely managed by the Canucks as they edged the Capitals in high-danger scoring chances 6-3, regardless of being outshot 11-8.
It seemed prefer it was going to be straight time within the ultimate body because the Canucks and Capitals saved the whistles to a minimal till Pierre-Luc Dubois scored his tenth of the season on the 12:31 mark. After that, it was all Capitals as they tried for the equalizer within the ultimate 7:29 of regulation. Nevertheless, Lankinen shut the door the remainder of the best way and the Canucks despatched their followers house proud of the 2-1 victory, their third straight Hockey Night time in Canada match within the win column.
Goalie Matchup
- Lankinen was very bought in his return to the Canucks’ crease stopping 32 of 33 photographs for a .970 save proportion. With the win, he improved his report to 17-8-6.
- Lindgren was good as nicely, solely giving up two targets on 25 photographs for a .920 SV%. He fell to 11-9-2.
What’s Subsequent For the Canucks & Capitals?
The Canucks will head again onto the street for a three-game stint by means of the Central Division beginning on Monday in opposition to the St. Louis Blues. The Capitals, in the meantime, will head to Calgary to face the Flames on Tuesday for the penultimate recreation of their five-game street journey that wraps up in Ottawa on Thursday.
