Canucks Gameday Preview: Homestand Finale vs. Golden Knights

After scoring 13 goals in two games to start the season, the Vancouver Canucks were in danger of being shut out against the Calgary Flames on Saturday. But thanks to Liam Ohgren and a puck that barely crossed the goal line under Devin Cooley’s glove, they walked away with a 4-1 win, their first victory at Rogers Arena this season. It was another resilient lunchpail effort from the Canucks, overcoming a third straight sluggish first period and coming away with a win, unlike Thursday when they came up short in a 9-7 loss.

Now, the Canucks welcome the Vegas Golden Knights, a team that made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final last season, for the finale of their three-game homestand. After that, they will head out to face the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, starting a long six-game Eastern road trip through some very tough opponents. Here’s your gameday preview.

Tale of the Tape: Golden Knights (1-1-0) vs. Canucks (2-1-0)

The Canucks meet the Golden Knights for the first of four matchups this season. In 2025-26, they dropped all three games in the season series and were outscored 11-5.

Historically, the Canucks have not fared well against the team from Sin City. They trail the all-time season series 7-20-1 and are currently on a seven-game losing streak. Their last win came all the way back on April 8, 2024, at home, prevailing 4-3 with former Canuck Conor Garland scoring the game-winner late in the second period.

Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser are tied for the most career points against the Golden Knights with 18 points in 20 and 21 games, respectively. On the other side, Tomas Hertl leads the way with 38 points in 38 games.

Projected Lineup vs. Golden Knights (Subject to Change)

Marco Rossi – Elias Pettersson – Linus Karlsson
Liam Ohgren – Paul Cotter – Brock Boeser
Arshdeep Bains – Max Sasson – Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Drew O’Connor – Aatu Raty – Brendan Gallagher

Zeev Buium – Filip Hronek
Jamie Oleksiak – Tom Willander
Elias Pettersson – Luke Schenn

Kevin Lankinen (1-1-0)
Leevi Merilainen (1-0-0)

Canucks’ Team Leaders

• Goals: Rossi, Cotter (3)
• Assists: Hronek (4)
• Points: Cotter, Pettersson (5)
• Plus/Minus: Cotter (plus-5)
• Goals-Against Average: Merilainen (1.32)
• Save Percentage: Merilainen (.943)
• Wins: Lankinen, Merilainen (1)

Storylines

Does Elias “Wrecking Ball” Pettersson Continue the Hit Parade?

For the first time in a long time, Pettersson has started the season with positive vibes, rather than frustration. He’s hearing “Petey” chants from the fans, and surprisingly, it’s not for his highlight reel dekes or one-timer on the power play. It’s for his physicality and open-ice hits. And no, we’re not mistaking him for D-Petey, the young defenceman who showcased some uncharacteristic magic on what ended up being the game-winner on Saturday.

Not only has Pettersson added a physical dimension to his game, but he’s also racking up the points. He co-leads the team with two goals and five points, and his confidence seems to be through the roof. He almost added a third goal to his total against the Flames, ringing it off the crossbar after one of his “Dekey Pete” moves.

While Pettersson couldn’t stretch his goal streak to three games, he notched an assist on Aatu Raty’s empty-netter, keeping his point streak alive. He also put up another eight hits, with one registering on the Richter scale when he absolutely lit up Zayne Parekh in open ice, leading directly to Drew O’Connor’s insurance goal on a 2-on-1.

Pettersson will face a tough matchup against a heavy team in the Golden Knights, but it seems like he’s up for any physical challenge that comes his way. He already has an eye-popping 16 hits in three games, which leads the league, three ahead of Owen Tippett and former teammates Nikita Zadorov, Kiefer Sherwood and Vasily Podkolzin. Can he stretch the lead tonight?

Slow Starts Are Becoming a Concerning Theme

The Canucks are above .500 for the first time since Oct. 21, 2025, thanks largely to their ability to overcome slow starts. They have been outscored 6-1 in first periods so far, and have opened the scoring only once – and that was against the grain when Cotter scored shorthanded in the season opener.

While being able to come back is an admirable trait, you shouldn’t have to do it all the time. Starting on the back foot and hoping you can flip a switch in the third period is not a sustainable path to success. Hopefully the Canucks can have a better start against the Golden Knights this time around, because they are a team capable of scoring in bunches and protecting a lead. They are not the Flames or Edmonton Oilers.

Players to Watch

Paul Cotter

Cotter has started the season with a bang, co-leading the Canucks with five points so far. He’s on a three-game point streak and will be looking to notch his first point against the team that drafted him 115th overall in 2018. He last played the Golden Knights on Dec. 17, 2025, as a member of the New Jersey Devils.

Max Sasson

After getting a little reprieve from his matchup duties on Saturday, Max Sasson will be thrown back into the fire tonight. He will most likely get the assignment of shutting down Jack Eichel, who leads the Golden Knights with a goal and five points.

How to Watch/Listen

Puck drops at 6 pm Pacific Time. You can listen on Kiss Radio and watch on Sportsnet Pacific.