Canucks Edge Ducks 5-4 Behind Tolopilo’s 37 Saves

The Vancouver Canucks secured a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on November 27, 2025, at the Honda Center. With just four minutes remaining in the third period, Max Sasson’s goal broke a 3-3 tie, allowing the Canucks to hold on for the win.

Nikita Tolopilo, who was called up to the team due to injuries to regular goaltenders Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen, played a pivotal role in the match. The rookie netminder made an impressive 37 saves, showcasing his skills in just his third NHL game.

The Canucks took an early lead, with Linus Karlsson scoring at 9:49 in the first period. Assisted by Marcus Pettersson, who deflected the puck off the end boards, Karlsson netted his fourth goal of the season. Just two minutes later, Evander Kane extended the lead to 2-0 on a power play, winning a faceoff and beating Ducks goaltender Petr Mrazek from the left circle. This marked Kane’s fourth goal of the year, breaking a nine-game scoring drought.

Despite being outshot 13-5 in the first period, the Canucks maintained their lead. Just nine seconds into the second period, the Ducks responded when Jackson LaCombe scored on a power play, cutting Vancouver’s lead to 2-1.

The Canucks quickly restored their two-goal advantage at 9:04 when Conor Garland received a pass from Brock Boeser, maneuvered around Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson, and scored his sixth goal of the season. However, Anaheim fought back, with Leo Carlsson backhanding a shot past Tolopilo to make it 3-2 at 16:19.

The Ducks continued to press, and with just 1:26 left in the second period, Mason McTavish leveled the score at 3-3, converting a pass from Beckett Sennecke.

In the final period, Sasson’s timely goal at 15:58 tipped the scales back in favor of the Canucks. He redirected Filip Hronek’s point shot, which deflected off Helleson and past Mrazek, giving Sasson his fifth goal of the season. Drew O’Connor sealed the deal with an empty-net goal at 18:08, marking his seventh of the year.

Although Cutter Gauthier scored for the Ducks with seven seconds remaining, it was not enough to change the outcome. The Canucks’ victory improved their record to 10-12-2, while the Ducks fell to 14-8-1.

Looking ahead, the Canucks will visit San Jose on Friday for a 1 p.m. game and face the Kings in Los Angeles on Saturday at 7 p.m.

In addition to Tolopilo’s standout performance, Canucks defenseman Tom Willander recorded two assists, marking his first career multi-point game. LaCombe finished the night with three points for the Ducks, while Hronek contributed two assists for Vancouver. The Ducks struggled on the power play, going 1-for-6, while the Canucks managed to score on 1-of-3 opportunities.