Defenceman Elias Petterson scored his first career NHL goal, helping the Vancouver Canucks to a 6-2 win over the visiting Anaheim Ducks Saturday afternoon at Rogers Arena.
Filip Hronek, Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, Dakota Joshua and Max Sasson also scored for Vancouver (35-28-13). Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras replied for the Ducks (33-35-8). Thatcher Demko got the win in goal, making 32 saves. Lukas Dostal took the loss, making 20 stops.
The win kept Vancouver’s flickering playoff hopes alive. With six games to play, they currently sit six points back of the Minnesota Wild, who hold the final Western Conference wildcard spot.
Anaheim opened the scoring just 1:21 into the game when Terry snapped a shot from the right circle past Demko.
The Canucks roared back with five unanswered first-period goals, all in a span of four minutes and 30 seconds.
FIRST OF MANY FOR JUNIOR! 👏 pic.x.com/NsHQWjQxKC
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 5, 2025
Pettersson scored his first NHL goal at 9:40, taking a pass in the slot from Linus Karlsson and firing a shot past Dostal. Just 66 seconds later, Hronek tallied his fifth of the season, wristing a point shot that deflected in behind Dostal.
Boeser made it 3-2 on the power play at 11:32, tipping in a Quinn Hughes shot. Boeser now has 25 goals on the year.
Another power-play goal, from Garland at 13:25, gave the Canucks a three-goal lead. Garland (with his 19th of the year), tapped home a loose puck off another Hughes shot.
Joshua made it 5-1 at 14:10, knocking home a deflected point shot from Marcus Pettersson for his sixth of the season.
Fast five. #AllTogetherAllIn pic.x.com/FPDtQIQhcM
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 5, 2025
At 2:49 of the second period, a point shot rebounded to Zegras who beat Demko to make it 5-2.
The speedy Sasson made it 6-2 at 5:33 of the final period, blowing past a defender and beating Dostal between the legs on the ensuing breakaway. The unassisted effort was Sasson’s third goal of the year.
The Canucks host the Vegas Golden Knights Sunday (7 p.m.).
NOTES: The Canucks were without injured forwards Elias Pettersson, Nils Hoglander, Filip Chytil and Nils Aman, as well as defenceman Tyler Myers… Vancouver was 2-for-2 on the power play, while the Ducks were scoreless on their two chances.
