Jonathan Lekkerimäki picked the perfect time to take over.
The Canucks winger scored twice in the final three minutes of regulation, Filip Hronek buried the winner in overtime, and Vancouver somehow turned a 5-2 hole into a 6-5 comeback victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 27 in Anaheim. The result snapped the Canucks’ 10-game losing streak and gave them a jolt they badly needed.
Vancouver’s finish was as frantic as it was decisive. Down two with less than four minutes left, the coaching staff went bold, sending out four forwards and one defenceman before pulling Leevi Meriläinen for an extra attacker.
The gamble paid off. Lekkerimäki struck at 17:14 and again at 18:03, using Jake DeBrusk as a screen on both goals to drag the Canucks level.
Hronek then finished it off 4:49 into overtime after Vancouver pieced together a sequence of passes in the offensive zone. It was a sharp finish to a night that had looked lost for long stretches.
The Canucks got goals from Liam Öhgren, Brock Boeser, Jamie Oleksiak and Hronek as well. Meriläinen stopped 18 of 23 shots in net.
Anaheim opened the scoring in the first period when A.J. Greer showed off his individual skill by spinning away from Elias Pettersson’s check and throwing the puck toward the net. Hronek, tracking Tim Walshe in front, ended up with the unfortunate bounce that sent the puck off him and past Meriläinen.
Vancouver finally got on the board in the second period when Öhgren tied it after a strong stretch of offensive zone play. But the Ducks answered quickly, and that pattern came back to haunt the Canucks all night.
Just like on other occasions this season - and twice in this game - Vancouver gave up a goal shortly after tying things up. By the end of the second, Anaheim was ahead 4-1.
One of the uglier bounces of the night came on the Ducks’ fourth goal. Meriläinen made the initial save on a rush chance, but the puck deflected off Zeev Buium’s skate and landed in perfect position for Leo Carlsson to fire into an open net.
Vancouver showed more life after the second intermission. Boeser scored at 11:40 of the third, only for Greer to respond for Anaheim 43 seconds later. Oleksiak then answered at 12:54 to make it 5-3 and keep the Canucks breathing.
There were still some troubling stretches, and Malhotra didn’t pretend otherwise. After the game, he pointed to the impact of the losing streak and the lift that came with the rally.
"When you string together as many losses as we have, it bleeds into the room, and then the morale obviously takes a hit. So not just getting a win, but a big come-from-behind win in the third is obviously something that we can build off of," said Canucks Head Coach Manny Malhotra post-game.
The numbers told part of the story too. Vancouver finished with more than 20 shots in a game for the first time since Oct. 13, scored five or more goals for the first time since the 9-7 loss to Edmonton on Oct. 1, and saw Lekkerimäki move into the team lead in goals with his fifth and sixth of the season. Hronek’s overtime winner was his first goal of the 2026-27 campaign.
The night also ended with Vancouver’s power play still needing work. The Canucks went 0-for-4 on full power-play chances before overtime, and their shifts right after goals remain a clean-up item. Even so, after the way this one swung, the result mattered more than the mess.
Vancouver’s next stop is San Jose, where the Canucks face the Sharks on Oct. 29 at 7:00 pm PT.
In Other News...
Canucks Suddenly Have A New Lineup Question Up Front
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Filip Chytils move to injured reserve creates the opening, and it also underscores how quickly the Canucks have had to adjust around his health this season. He is dealing with an upper-body injury and is eligible to return next Thursday, so Vancouver now has to manage the short-term gap while waiting to see how the next stretch unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Suddenly Have Another Filip Chytil Injury Scare
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Manny Malhotra said Chytil will get the day off for the upcoming game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, leaving Vancouver to manage another uncertain stretch without one of its more intriguing pieces. Chytil has been working on his on-ice awareness to help avoid dangerous situations, but for a player with his injury history, every collision seems to carry a little extra weight. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks May Like This Young Winger More Than His Trade Cost
A young winger with a tantalizing profile is suddenly in the trade conversation, and the Canucks are among the teams said to be paying attention. Ivan Miroshnichenko has drawn interest around the league as Washington makes him available, and Vancouvers curiosity makes sense for a club that is always looking for upside on the wing without having to wait too long for it to develop.
The catch is the price tag, which is where the discussion gets tricky for a Canucks front office that has to balance present needs with future value. Miroshnichenko has not yet locked down a full-time NHL role in Washington, but the Capitals are still believed to be setting a steep asking price, and that alone could determine whether Vancouver keeps kicking the tires or decides the fit is better than the cost. [Read more 🡒]