Canucks Fall to Penguins After Late Collapse, Despite Strong Effort from Hronek
The Vancouver Canucks dropped a tightly contested 3-2 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night, a game that was as close on the ice as it was on the stat sheet. While the final score leaned in Pittsburgh’s favor, the underlying numbers tell the story of a Canucks team that was right there-until the third period slipped away.
At even strength, the Canucks and Penguins each generated 25 scoring chances, with Vancouver holding a narrow edge in high-danger looks, 13-11. That’s the kind of stat line that usually suggests a coin-flip outcome. But in this one, it was Pittsburgh who made their chances count-particularly in the final frame, where they scored all three of their goals.
Once again, the third period proved to be Vancouver’s undoing. It’s become a bit of a troubling trend for this team. Whether it’s fatigue, lapses in defensive coverage, or just failing to match the opponent’s late-game push, the Canucks haven’t consistently closed out games when they’ve had the opportunity.
Both goaltenders were tested in close, with Kevin Lankinen facing nine high-danger shots and Stuart Skinner seeing seven. The net-front battles were intense, and both teams showed a willingness to get to the dirty areas. But when it mattered most, the Penguins found the back of the net, and the Canucks didn’t.
One bright spot for Vancouver? Filip Hronek.
The veteran defenseman logged a heavy 26:55 of even-strength ice time and was one of the most impactful players on the ice. With Hronek out there, the Canucks outshot the Penguins 14-9 and outscored them 2-0.
He also picked up an assist-his 98th as a Canuck-continuing what’s been a quietly strong campaign on the blue line.
Looking ahead, Vancouver stays home to take on the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. There’s some buzz around the potential debut of Kiefer Sherwood for San Jose, depending on how his injury status shakes out.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. PT at Rogers Arena.
The Canucks have shown they can hang with quality teams like Pittsburgh. But if they want to turn these close games into wins, especially as the playoff race heats up, they’ll need to find a way to finish stronger in the third.