Sharks 3, Canucks 2: Another One-Goal Loss With Lessons

The Vancouver Canucks walked into San Jose needing a stabilizing performance — something steady, something simple, something to break their slide. For the first period and a half, they almost had it. They scored first, traded chances, and showed enough push that the game felt winnable. But the same cracks that have surfaced over this recent stretch reappeared, and San Jose capitalized quickly and decisively.

This one will sting because Vancouver had the start they wanted. Brock Boeser’s early goal was a product of sharp puck movement, and Elias Pettersson’s stunning midair sweep put them ahead again in the second. Yet each time they gained control, they couldn’t hold it. Penalties invited trouble, defensive reads loosened at key moments, and San Jose’s special teams made Vancouver pay.

In games like this — tight, emotional, momentum-swinging — the Canucks too often find themselves on the wrong side of the moment. Friday night was another example.

Key Point One: Vancouver’s Early Structure Didn’t Hold

The Canucks looked composed early, moving the puck with pace and protecting the middle of the ice. But once the Sharks pushed back, Vancouver couldn’t maintain that structure. A pair of power-play goals against shifted the momentum entirely, and the Canucks never fully recovered their rhythm. For a team trying to steady itself, these recurring lapses are becoming a pattern.

Key Point Two: The Goaltending Battle Tilted Away from the Canucks

Nikita Tolopilo didn’t have a bad game, but Yaroslav Askarov was better. Vancouver looked good, primarily Boeser. He easily could have scored more than once. But Askarov stood tall in key moments, while Tolopilo didn’t get the same help in front of him. The overturned goal, tucked inside his glove, summed up the kind of break Vancouver hasn’t earned lately.

Key Point Three: Pettersson and Boeser Delivered, But They Need More Support

Both of Vancouver’s goals came from their stars, and both were high-skill plays. Boeser hit the 450-point milestone, which puts him 10th in franchise history for scoring. Pettersson tied Alexandre Burrows for 11th on the franchise goal list. But depth scoring again went quiet, and the Canucks couldn’t manufacture enough offense when the game tightened. The top end can carry you only so far when the rest of the lineup isn’t generating.

Final Thoughts From the Canucks’ Perspective

This was a game Vancouver had within reach — twice. Yet they leave San Jose with another one-goal loss and the sense that a better version of themselves was right there. They couldn’t grab it and sustain it long enough. The effort was strong. The execution wasn’t up to the task. And until they find a way to play the final 40 minutes with the same sharpness as the first 20, nights like this will keep slipping away.