Boeser Lifts Canucks Over Maple Leafs in Thrilling 2-1 Victory
What a game in Vancouver! The Canucks pulled off a huge 2-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it was Brock Boeser who played hero, breaking the tie with a clutch power-play goal in the third period. The energy in Rogers Arena was electric as Vancouver secured their third straight win, showing resilience despite some key absences.
The night started with a bit of concern for Canucks fans as starting goaltender Thatcher Demko had to leave the game midway through the first period after stopping all six shots he faced. While the injury didn't seem too serious, it was enough to keep him out for the rest of the game. That meant Kevin Lankinen had to step in, and wow—did he ever deliver. Lankinen made 21 saves, including a jaw-dropping glove save on Auston Matthews late in the game to keep the Canucks ahead. He embraced the challenge, saying, “I always embrace it, just get tossed into the fire and kind of come out with a tan from it.”
Vancouver struck first, thanks to Filip Hronek, who put the Canucks on the board just seven minutes into the game. He finished off a slick backdoor pass from Elias Pettersson, completely fooling the Leafs' defense and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
But Toronto wasn’t going down without a fight. With just six seconds left in the second period, Morgan Rielly found the back of the net, firing a wrist shot past a screened Lankinen to tie the game at 1-1. It was a big moment for Rielly, who was playing in his hometown and snapped a 14-game goalless streak.
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Then came the game-winner. Nearly nine minutes into the third period, Hronek made another key play, keeping the puck in the zone and setting up Filip Chytil, who then found Boeser cutting through the slot. Boeser wasted no time, firing a low shot past a screened Joseph Woll, giving the Canucks the 2-1 lead they wouldn’t give up. It was Boeser’s 197th career goal, tying him with Thomas Gradin for ninth all-time in Canucks history.
Despite a late push from the Maple Leafs, including a 6-on-4 power play opportunity in the final minute, Vancouver held on. Special teams made the difference, with the Canucks converting on one of their two power plays while Toronto went 0-for-2.
For the Maple Leafs, the loss snapped a three-game winning streak, but overall, they still finished a solid 3-1 on their road trip. Joseph Woll had a strong night with 23 saves, and Matthews extended his point streak to four games with an assist on Rielly’s goal.
After the game, Leafs coach Craig Berube summed it up simply: “It was a competitive, fast game. They got a power-play goal, and we had a chance at the end, but we didn’t get it.”
For Vancouver, this win keeps their momentum rolling as they continue to battle through injuries. Missing star defenseman Quinn Hughes for the fourth straight game didn’t stop them from putting together another strong defensive performance. As Lankinen put it, “We’ve been playing great, really tight defensively. Everybody is buying in, and when we get our captain (Hughes) back, we’ll be even more dangerous.”
An exciting, hard-fought win for the Canucks, and if they keep this up, they’ll be a serious threat in the playoff race.
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