The Canucks and Maple Leafs meet tonight for the first time this season, with Vancouver set to host Toronto in the opening game of a two-game series between the clubs. The teams will see each other again on Mar. 13 in Toronto.
Vancouver has handled this matchup well over the years, carrying a 75-66-22-4 all-time record against the Maple Leafs. At home, the Canucks have been even better, going 47-24-11-3.
Recent results have also leaned Vancouver’s way. The Canucks are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games against Toronto, including 3-1-1 over the last five.
A few Canucks have built strong individual numbers against the Leafs, too. Brendan Gallagher leads active Vancouver skaters in scoring against Toronto with 24 points, coming on 11 goals and 13 assists in 51 career games.
Brock Boeser has 20 points in 23 career games against the Maple Leafs, while Elias Pettersson has 12 points in 16 games. Filip Hronek has chipped in 11 points in 17 career games against Toronto.
In goal, Kevin Lankinen has gone 2-3-1 with a 2.63 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage, and one shutout in seven career games against the Leafs. Toronto’s Leevi Meriläinen has one career appearance against Vancouver’s opponent, going 0-0-1 with a 3.88 goals-against average and an .889 save percentage.
There are also a couple of statistical notes worth watching. Filip Hronek is tied for fourth in the NHL in blocked shots with 35, while D Elias Pettersson ranks sixth among all defencemen in hits with 35. Elias Pettersson has also been productive lately against Toronto, posting five points over his last five games against the Leafs.
The most recent meeting came on Jan. 31/26, when Toronto edged Vancouver 3-2 in a shootout. Jonathan Lekkerimäki got the Canucks on the board 1:55 into the second period, with Liam Öhgren and Pierre-Olivier Joseph picking up the assists. Nicolas Roy tied it with 6:26 left in the period, then Tom Willander restored Vancouver’s lead 1:11 later, with Evander Kane and Elias Pettersson drawing the assists.
Max Domi forced overtime by tying the game 2:32 into the third, and Auston Matthews and William Nylander finished it off in the shootout for Toronto. Jake DeBrusk had four shots, while Filip Hronek and Aatu Räty each finished with four hits. Hronek, D Elias Pettersson, Marcus Pettersson, and Öhgren all blocked three shots, and Nikita Tolopilo stopped 39 shots in the loss.
In Other News...
Canucks Loss Still Revealed Which Young Players Are Earning Bigger Roles
Even in a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, there were a few encouraging signs for Vancouver in the way some of its younger players handled bigger responsibilities. Zeev Buium was leaned on heavily and looked comfortable in a tougher role, while Elias Pettersson continued to show the kind of edge and physical commitment that can help him carve out a more reliable place in the lineup. For a team trying to sort out who can be trusted in more meaningful minutes, those are the kinds of details that matter as much as the final score.
Max Sasson also added to the case for a larger look, contributing offensively while showing he can hold his own in the little battles that often decide shifts and games. The Canucks are still early in figuring out how these young pieces fit together, but performances like this one give the coaching staff something concrete to work with. Even in defeat, the game offered a clearer picture of which prospects are pushing toward bigger roles and which ones may be ready sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Loss Put Their Home Ice Problems Back Under The Spotlight
The Canucks home-ice issues were back in focus after a 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs, a game that again left them chasing from behind and unable to fully recover. Auston Matthews scored his 11th goal of the season for Toronto, while William Nylander and Teddy Blueger each chipped in a goal and an assist as the Leafs did enough offensively to keep Vancouver at arms length.
Brock Boeser and Max Sasson accounted for the Canucks scoring, but it was not enough to change the feel of a night that ended with more questions than answers at home. Both goaltenders were busy, with Leevi Merilainen making 24 saves and Anthony Stolarz stopping 26, and the result only adds to the pressure on Vancouver to find a steadier answer in its own building. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Get An Early Reality Check After Rough First Month
The first month of the 2026-27 season ended with a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it left the Canucks with an early snapshot they probably did not want. Compared with the same stretch a year ago, Vancouver has already played more games this time around, but the overall results have been worse, with the club scoring less often and giving up more goals than it did through the opening month of 2025-26.
There are a few signs of life in the numbers, most notably on the power play, which has improved from last season. But the penalty kill has slipped, and the special-teams picture is not entirely isolated from what is happening around the league, where broader trends are shaping some of those swings. For a team trying to settle in after a rough start, the question now is whether the Canucks can turn those early warning signs into something more stable before the standings start to harden. [Read more 🡒]