The Kings host the Golden Knights tonight as they look to get back into a playoff spot and close the gap on Vegas, which currently sits atop the Pacific Division. The Kings are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday. Their schedule has recently pitted them against some of the best NHL teams, and tonight's game is no different, as Vegas currently sits 9th in the NHL. Vegas is coming off a 7-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks and is looking for its 5th straight win.
The Kings will be without Corey Perry tonight due to a family matter. With Perry out and Jacob Moverare in, the Kings will have 11 forwards and 7 defencemen in tonight's matchup. Kopitar, Armia, and Moore all had on-ice workouts but will not be playing in tonight's game. The goaltending matchup looks to be Kuemper vs Schmid, as the Knights are without Hart and Hill, both out due to lower-body injuries.
Key Factors
The Kings' schedule has not been kind to them recently, as they have faced some of the NHL's best teams, yet they have been able to hold their own. Vegas is a tough opponent, and the Kings can close the gap with a win tonight. With the Kings having only 11 forwards in tonight's game, they will once again look not only to their big guys to provide offence but also to their depth skaters to provide energy.
One player who can provide that spark for them is Kuzmenko, who has been moved up and down throughout the lineup. With him on the 3rd line alongside Kevin Fiala, that line will be looked to for depth scoring against a Vegas team that has deep depth throughout its roster.
Darcy Kuemper has not been his usual self over the last 3 games; in that span, he is 0-2-1, allowing 11 goals. Also, in those 3 games, he has not posted a save percentage higher than .900; in one of those games, he posted a .688, so the Kings will need him to be at his best tonight against a strong offensive Vegas team.
Overall, if the Kings can stay smart defensively and have the depth forwards provide good offensive chances alongside the top lines, they can walk away with a win.
My prediction for tonight's game is a 4-1 Kings win.
The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline is 51 days away, but that hasn’t stopped the Vancouver Canucks from wanting to make moves before then. Vancouver shopped franchise defenceman Quinn Hughes in mid-December and are eyeing more trades including more than just their pending UFAs, according to a sit-down that Patrick Johnston of The Province had with Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford.
“When we started the process […] the intent at the start was to not get into any core player. It may very well end up staying that way,” Rutherford told Johnston. “But it certainly would not make any sense for Patrik [Allvin] to not listen to anybody.”
Rutherford’s claims come after reports circulated earlier today that players like Elias Pettersson and Nils Höglander could be up for grabs, while veterans like Tyler Myers or Filip Hronek are more likely to be safe. However, today he confirmed that Vancouver isn’t going to shy away from listening to calls on any of their players.
“We may end up saying no to offers, certainly, but we’re not going to say no to having conversations about any player. This is about improving this team without taking shortcuts.”
Another idea shared by Rutherford in Johnston’s article is the importance of having veterans in their lineup. Notably, this clashes with ideas that management has shared in the past regarding the push for youth in their roster.
“I think signing veteran players is actually necessary,” Rutherford added. “You can’t just take a bunch of 22-year-olds and throw them to the wolves. It’s a tough, tough league.”
Jan 13, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (40) celebrates with teammates after a goal in the third period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images
Regardless of which players — young or old — end up remaining with the team, one thing is certain; Vancouver is pushing for a rebuild, the length of which could be anywhere from two years to 10. Rutherford would much prefer the former.
“If we can just keep adding to young assets, hopefully we can do this in two or three years. It’s not an easy process, we have to be very methodical,” the Canucks’ President of Hockey Operations said. “You can’t lose patience because you’re losing some games.”
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After returning to the Los Angeles Kings following a short absence to tend to a family matter, right winger Corey Perry is returning to his home again.
A family member of Perry's is currently ill, and last week, he missed a couple of games to be available for his loved ones.
However, as he heads back home, he'll be out of the lineup indefinitely and will miss Wednesday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
In his first time of absence, the Kings made roster moves to fill in the holes of the lineup. At the same time, captain Anze Kopitar and right winger Joel Armia were, and still are, dealing with injuries.
Los Angeles recalled Taylor Ward and Andre Lee from the AHL's Ontario Reign. For this instance, the Kings will play with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, with Jacob Moverare slotting in on the team's back end.
When available, Perry has been excellent for the Kings in his first season with the team. He has played 37 games, scoring 10 goals and accumulating 23 points. With that, the 40-year-old ranks fourth on the team in goals and points.
Corey Perry (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)
Furthermore, in his last seven appearances, the Peterborough, Ont., native has put up eight points. That includes a three-point performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 1.
Looking ahead at the schedule, the Kings have back-to-back affairs with state rivals, and Perry's former team, the Anaheim Ducks, following Wednesday's contest with Vegas. It's unclear how long the veteran will be out of the lineup for, but he may miss those outings in the short term.
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For the first time in more than two weeks, the Colorado Avalanche will have their full goaltending tandem available when they host the Nashville Predators on Friday.
The Avalanche activated starting goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood from injured reserve on Wednesday, clearing the way for his return to the lineup after missing six games. Blackwood is expected to be a full participant in Thursday’s practice. In a corresponding roster move, Colorado reassigned Trent Miner to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.
Blackwood has not appeared since Dec. 31, when he stopped 12 of 13 shots in a 6–1 win over the St. Louis Blues. He was placed on injured reserve ahead of a three-game road trip, during which the Avalanche went 1–2–0 while also dealing with additional injuries to Gabe Landeskog and Devon Toews.
Blackwood at a recent morning skate.
In total, Colorado posted a 3–2–1 record during Blackwood’s absence. Scott Wedgewood handled all three starts on the road and remained in net when the Avalanche opened their seven-game homestand against the Ottawa Senators. Miner was called upon for the final two games, recording his first career NHL win with a shutout of the Columbus Blue Jackets before following it up with a 4–3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Before the injury, Blackwood had been one of the league’s most effective goaltenders. Through 16 appearances, the 29-year-old owns a 13–1–1 record with a .924 save percentage, while his 2.07 goals-against average led the NHL at the time he was sidelined. Serving as a tandem option alongside fellow Canadian Scott Wedgewood, Blackwood provided Colorado with steady, high-level goaltending throughout the season’s first half.
A veteran of eight NHL seasons, the Thunder Bay, Ont. native has compiled a career record of 116–104–29, with previous stops in San Jose and New Jersey before joining the Avalanche midway through the 2024–25 campaign. He carries a career .907 save percentage and a 2.91 goals-against average.
Blackwood rejoins an Avalanche team riding strong form in the standings. Colorado enters Friday’s matchup with a 33–8–4 record through 45 games, sitting atop the NHL with 74 points — 11 clear of the Dallas Stars, who have played two additional games.
The Avalanche will look to build greater consistency as they continue an eight-game homestand, having gone 3–2–1 so far in January. Friday’s contest against the Predators marks the fourth game of that stretch before Colorado eventually heads back out on the road for four games.
Just one week after being placed on injured reserve with a concussion, it looks like forward Rutger McGroarty might soon be back in the fold for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
And an even better sign is that he was able to stick around for team practice wearing a white non-contact jersey. Even though it's a positive step in his recovery process, Penguins' head coach Dan Muse emphasized that they're still just taking things day by day.
"It's just another step," Muse said. "Non-contact there today, great to have him on the ice. Obviously, with a concussion, too, we always want to take our time. But, that is the next step, and so it was good to have him out there. No change in status."
McGroarty, 21, was injured through all of training camp and in the first month and a half of regular season action. After a successful five-game AHL stint, he was recalled to the NHL level, where he has notched two goals and three points in 16 games.
At the AHL level this season, he recorded four goals and seven points in those five games. Upon his return, the Penguins will have a decision to make in terms of whether or not they want to keep him on the NHL roster or send him back to the AHL, where he is likely to get more consistent playing time.
It's worth noting that defenseman Caleb Jones - who has been on injured reserve since late October - is currently on an AHL conditioning stint. With McGroarty skating as well, it's possible that the Penguins may just want to keep a roster spot open in anticipation of the return of one of those guys.
They next play Thursday, when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena. It will be interesting to see if they decide to make another move before then.
Jones is also a left defenseman, which would make that side a bit crowded if he returns soon.
"Just based on how Gravy's been playing down there, based on his experience, based on what he's done in the past, all those things," Muse said. "We've had it where guys have their off-side before. I think if we want to have that as an option, it's something that we can explore again. [Brett] Kulak has a lot of experience playing over there on the right. There's other options there as well."
Forwards Rickard Rakell - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust Evgeni Malkin - Tommy Novak - Egor Chinakhov Anthony Mantha - Ben Kindel - Justin Brazeau Connor Dewar - Blake Lizotte - Noel Acciari
Defensemen Brett Kulak - Kris Letang Parker Wotherspoon - Jack St. Ivany Ryan Shea - Connor Clifton
Goaltenders Stuart Skinner, Arturs Silovs
It stands to reason that Skinner will likely get the call against the Flyers. In his NHL career against Philadelphia, Skinner is 4-1-1 with a .923 save percentage in six appearances.
According to Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff, forward Josh Dunne will be out for the next four to six weeks due to a middle-body injury.
Ruff also noted that Dunne's injury will not require surgery.
Dunne has played in a career-high 28 games so far this season with the Sabres, where he has recorded one goal, three assists, four points, 34 penalty minutes, 34 hits, and a minus-4 rating. This is after he played in just two games last season for Buffalo, where he had zero points and five penalty minutes.
Dunne has also played two games this season with the Sabres' AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, where he has one goal.
With Dunne sidelined, the Sabres will now be without one of their bottom-six forwards for at least the next month.
In 44 career NHL games split between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Sabres, Dunne has recorded one goal, four points, and 49 penalty minutes.
St. Louis Blues winger Jimmy Snuggerud and center Dalibor Dvorsky might not be in the Calder Trophy race as some people predicted, but that doesn’t mean their rookie seasons haven’t been successful up to this date.
The 21-year-old Snuggerud sustained a left wrist injury that required surgery and missed 12 games because of it. The initial timeline given to him was longer than the time he was out, and since his return, he’s notched two goals and four points in nine games.
The Blues defeated the Carolina Hurricanes last night 3-0, highlighted by a three-goal second period. The Blues scored a short-handed goal, an even-strength goal, and a power play goal, with two of the goals coming from rookies Dvorsky and Snuggerud.
Dvorsky and Snuggerud’s goals highlighted their strengths: their shots. Dvorsky didn’t necessarily rip one past the goaltender from range. Still, he got himself open in tight on a transition opportunity and was able to get the puck up over the goaltender quickly enough to notch his seventh goal of the season.
The 20-year-old has found his home now in the NHL, and he doesn’t look like he’s going back to the AHL anytime soon. He’s assumed a centerman’s role on the Blues and is only getting better.
“I thought it was excellent,” coach Jim Montgomery said of Dvorsky’s line. “Dalibor Dvorsky’s had some really good games, that might have been his best 200-foot game. He was really good in the D-zone, he was moving his legs, he was winning a lot of 1-on-1 battles and it started in that goal. They win that battle, 72 to 72 to 54 low and then we move the puck up and great execution. What a great pass by Jordan Kyrou on the entry to find 75 and then down to 63 and a real poised play that we’re used to seeing Jake Neighbours make in and around the net and a good finish.”
Snuggerud’s tally, which was also his seventh of the season, displayed his shot to a tee. On the power play, the Blues forced a turnover and went down the ice with numbers. Jordan Kyrou dropped the puck back to Snuggerud, who took one stick handle before firing the puck into the top corner from just inside the right faceoff circle.
Jimmy Snuggerud (Joe Puetz-Imagn Images)
When the Blues selected Snuggerud 23rd overall in the 2022 NHL draft, goals like the one he scored last night were what the Blues envisioned on a nightly basis. Snuggerud doesn’t need much time or space to show off his shot.
He can beat goaltenders with a one-timer or a catch-and-release. The youngster is averaging over two shots per game this season, but is converting just 9.7 percent of his attempts. The shooting percentage should increase, and the goals will come more easily, sooner rather than later.
It’s almost the opposite of Dvorsky. The Blues coaching staff wants Dvorsky to shoot the puck more, as he’s fired just 48 shots in 37 games. While the other aspects of his game look strong, allowing himself to be a true shot threat at 5-on-5, rather than just the power play, could take his game to the next level.
In all, Snuggerud is on pace for 14 goals and 30 points in 70 games, while Dvorsky is on pace for 14 goals and 20 points in 72 games. They might not be Calder Trophy-winning numbers, but they are solid starts to what the Blues hope are long careers in St. Louis.
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The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have signed forward Alexandre Texier to a two-year, $5 million contract extension. Starting next season, Texier will have a $2.5 million average annual value (AAV) with the Habs.
Seeing the Canadiens sign Texier to a contract extension is not surprising in the slightest. Since signing with the Canadiens after mutually terminating his contract with the St. Louis Blues in November, the 26-year-old forward has proven to be an excellent fit in Montreal.
In 25 games since signing with the Canadiens, Texier has recorded seven goals, nine assists, 16 points, and a plus-7 rating. With numbers like these, he has certainly given the Canadiens solid offensive production.
Texier has only been heating up even more as the season rolls on, though. Over his last five games, the 2017 second-round pick has recorded four goals and eight points. With this, he has been making a big impact for the Canadiens, and he has earned this nice two-year contract extension with Montreal because of it.
In 265 career NHL games over seven seasons split between the Columbus Blue Jackets, Blues, and Canadiens, Texier has posted 47 goals, 60 assists, and 107 points.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Corey Pronman ranked the top NHL players and prospects who are under 23 years old. With the Philadelphia Flyers having a good amount of exciting youngsters, multiple of their players made the list.
Flyers youngsters Matvei Michkov (No. 20), Porter Martone (No. 31), Jack Nesbitt (No. 96), Oliver Bonk (No. 101), Yegor Zavragin (No. 112), Jett Luchanko (No. 125), and Jack Berglund (No. 126) all made Pronman's list.
Michkov and Martone are certainly the two Flyers youngsters from this group of players with the highest upside. While this is the case, Nesbitt, Bonk, Zavragin, Luchanko, and Berglund all have the potential to blossom into impactful NHL players themselves for the Flyers in the future.
With the Flyers being a team on the rise, they are hoping that this group of youngsters will be big parts of their roster in the future as they look to become true contenders. Michkov is already a key part of the Flyers' roster, and it will be fascinating to see how the rest of this group continues to develop before they make the jump to the NHL.
Nevertheless, there is no question that the Flyers have some promising young players in their system to watch.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Corey Pronman ranked the best NHL players and prospects who are younger than 23 years old.
The Chicago Blackhawks were certainly featured often in Pronman's rankings, as 11 of their youngsters made the cut: Connor Bedard (No. 2), Frank Nazar (No. 22), Roman Kantserov (No. 23), Artyom Levshunov (No. 35), Anton Frondell (No. 44), Colton Dach (No. 71), Sam Rinzel (No. 72), Oliver Moore (No. 82), Sacha Boisvert (No. 95), Vaclav Nestrasil (No. 104), and Mason West (No. 107).
Seeing so many Blackhawks included on these rankings is not surprising in the slightest. It is no secret that the Blackhawks have several promising youngsters in their system, and this list only proves that.
What's also so encouraging about this list of Blackhawks players is that it is a nice mix of NHL-ready talent and exciting prospects. This demonstrates that the Blackhawks still have plenty of exciting youngsters waiting in the wings who will have the potential to strengthen their roster in the future. With this, it is hard not to feel optimistic about the Blackhawks' future as they continue to trend in the right direction.
There have been only a few blemishes for the Buffalo Sabres recently, and in an extremely tight and competitive race in the Eastern Conference, the Sabres will have to bounce back from the 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first of back-to-back games at KeyBank Center on Wednesday.
The Sabres find themselves outside of the top-eight in the conference, in spite of going 13-2 in the last 15 games, but could move back into a wildcard spot with a win over the Flyers, who they are tied in the standing with at 52 points.
Buffalo held an optional skate at KeyBank Center on Wednesday, and head coach Lindy Ruff spoke to the media to provide an update on the roster:
The club sent down defenseman Zac Jones, how does that reflect on the injury status of Michael Kesselring?
(Kesselring) is available, but won't play. Rochester is playing tonight. In an emergency basis, Kesselring could play, and we'll evaluate him for tomorrow.
Is there an update on Josh Dunne?
He's gonna be off for a period of time. Right now the indications are maybe four-to-six weeks. (Ruff indicated on Tuesday that the injury was mid-body, and said on Wednesday that he will not require surgery).
What are you expecting in your third matchup with the Flyers?
They've got some great speed up front. We've had two hard games against them. They got us in their building, we got them in ours. (We) just anticipate, in Eastern Conference games, teams that you're right there with, every game is an important game. It's just going to come down to, compete and execution, and try to make them pay for their mistakes. But make sure we're taking care of the puck at the same time.
Have you instructed the players to not concentrate on the standings?
We haven't talked about the standings. We just talked about the importance of one game. I think we've been pretty good at trying to just stay in the moment, rebounding after the previous game, where you're right there in that game, to win it, or at least get points out of it. (You) spend more time on that, getting ready for this game than you do on the overall standings.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a roster move, as they have announced that they have assigned forward Tristan Broz to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Broz being sent down to the AHL comes just one day after the Penguins called him up to their NHL roster. The promising forward prospect did not make an appearance during his latest brief call-up to Pittsburgh's roster.
Broz did make his NHL debut earlier this season for the Penguins though during their Nov. 26 contest against the Buffalo Sabres. The 6-foot forward had a minus-1 rating and two shots during the Penguins' matchup against the Sabres.
Now, after being sent back down to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's roster, Broz will be aiming to impress with the AHL club. The 2021 second-round pick has played in 33 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this campaign, where he has posted 11 goals, 13 assists, and 24 points.
The Montreal Canadiens’ power play currently ranks 11th in the NHL with a 22.4% success rate. In 47 games, they’ve had 134 power play opportunities and have scored 30 goals. Of that number, 27 came from five-on-four opportunities, one from a four-on-three chance and only two from a five-on-three opportunity.
In Tuesday night’s game against the Washington Capitals, the Canadiens had over a minute of a two-man advantage, and they could only muster one shot on it. The double advantage could have been longer if the Habs had given the puck over to the Capitals as soon as the referee’s arm went up instead of cycling the puck and taking a non-threatening shot…Speaking after the game, Martin St-Louis said of the five-on-three:
I hoped to see a goal. We have good players on the ice. If you don’t score when you’re playing five-on-three, it’s rare that you’re going to win the game.
- Martin St-Louis after the game against the Capitals
So far this season, the Canadiens have spent 10 minutes on the five-on-three, and they have only two goals to show for it. That’s much more time than any other team; the San Jose Sharks are second with 7:44 (during which they’ve scored four goals), and the Dallas Stars are third with 5:32 (during which they’ve scored two goals). Why do the other teams have less time at five-on-three? Because they convert on their opportunity. As simple as that.
The Columbus Blue Jackets lead the league in goals at five-on-three with four (with the above-mentioned Sharks), and they’ve only spent 3:25 skating with a two-man advantage. The Calgary Flames have scored three goals in 4:24, while the Los Angeles Kings have three goals in just 3:03.
Whichever way you look at it, the Canadiens’ two goals in over 10 minutes just isn’t enough. I can understand using Noah Dobson at the point to get that big slap shot. Still, given how few shots the unit generates, it would make more sense to have Hutson’s mobility and creativity to find the wingers who are playing nearer to the net.
With the standings being as tight as they are and the Canadiens having so few regulation wins, St-Louis’ men cannot afford to squander such prime scoring opportunities.
Yesterday, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman released the midseason update of the under-23 NHL players and prospects rankings. When he released the September edition, seven Montreal Canadiens were on the list. Fast forward four months, and there are now eight members of the Habs organization on the 137-player rankings: Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson, Alexander Zharovsky, Michael Hage, David Reinbacher, Zack Bolduc, and Oliver Kapanen. The 2025 second-round pick Zharovsky is the only new entry to the list.
Pronman’s rankings are divided into six tiers; the first one is for elite NHL players, tier two for NHL All-Stars, tier three for bubble NHL All-Stars and top of the lineup players, tier four for Top of the lineup players, tier five for bubble top and middle of the lineup players, and tier six for middle of the lineup players. Let’s review where each Hab stands.
Slafkovsky is the first player on the list and gets the seventh spot just like he did in September, but Pronman now has him in Tier three rather than Tier two, which is highly surprising given how much the big Slovak has improved in the first half of the season. What we’ve seen from him this season is a more complete and consistent player who now takes responsibility on his new line and is one of its driving forces, rather than a complement to his linemates. Perhaps the drop is due to his no longer being on the first line, but that would be a faulty conclusion, as his role is now larger.
Demidov is also in Tier two, just behind Slafkovsky in eighth place, a two-spot increase. Just like Slafkovsky, he’s dropped from Tier two to Tier three. Pronman still considers his skating below average despite the work the young Russian put in last summer and the change in his style, which is now much more fluid and efficient. He doesn’t have what the writer called an “awkward/knock-kneed skating stride” back in September. Given that the young Russian currently leads the rookie scoring race and just how spectacular his play has been, it’s surprising to see him go down a tier.
On any given night, the Juraj Slafkovsky - Oliver Kapanen - Ivan Demidov trio can look like the Habs 1st line
Hutson is the third player in the ranking, and he went from number 34 in September to number 14 in this edition, but he remains in Tier Four as a bubble NHL All-Star and top of the lineup player. While Pronman praises his offensive skills, he believes his defensive game holds him back in the rankings. Saying Hutson is small and will struggle for that reason is the easy way out. Anyone who has watched him play more than a game here and there can tell you that his defensive game has improved significantly. While the plus/minus is not the best stat around, the fact that he went from minus-two last season to plus-16 at this stage of his sophomore season should tell him something.
Newcomer Zharovsky is Montreal’s fourth player in the list in 39th place and lands in Tier Six as a bubble top and middle of the lineup player. Pronman rates his skating and compete as average, while calling his puck skills and hockey sense above average. He sees him as a slick winger with the hands, creativity, and offensive IQ of a legitimate NHL scoring forward. It’s hard to comment on this one, as we’ve seen very little of his game aside from highlights, but his KHL numbers are both impressive and intriguing.
Hage is fifth and rose from 131 to 51, a significant increase which is well deserved. Pronman notes a history of inconsistent efforts but says he has improved in that regard recently. Anyone who saw him play in the World Junior Championship will agree that the effort was always there and that he’s very creative going up the ice. While success in that tournament doesn’t necessarily mean big success in the NHL, it’s hard not to be excited by what he showed in Minnesota.
Defenseman Reinbacher ranks sixth among the Habs and fell from 44 to 85. His hockey sense rating has gone from above average to just average, and he hasn’t written a profile for the 21-year-old. In 27 games with the Rocket this season, the right-shot defenseman has put up 12 points, and he’s the fourth defenseman on the AHL team’s scoring ranking behind Adam Engstrom, William Trudeau and Marc Del Gaizo. The right-shot defenseman’s development has no doubt been hurt by all the injuries he’s suffered in the last couple of years, but that’s hopefully behind him now.
Winger Bolduc is now in 90th place, 10 ranks up from his September ranking. While his skating, puck skills, hockey sense, and compete are all listed as average, Pronman has his shot as elite. After the first half of the season, it feels like we’ve not seen enough from Bolduc, like there’s an unexplored level to his game that the Canadiens have not yet found a way to unlock.
Kapanen is the eighth Hab on the list, ranked 118, up from 139. Pronman has above-average puck skills, compete, and shot, with his hockey sense average and his skating below average. The Finn is currently fifth in rookie scoring this season with 27 points in 47 games, but he leads them all in goals with 16, an imposing number. Kapanen has excellent instincts on the ice and always seems to be in the right place to have scoring chances. He may not bury all his opportunities, but he still has an insane 18.3% shooting percentage, which, while really impressive, seems unsustainable. Still, I think Kapanen is just not getting enough respect for what he’s doing on the ice this season.
Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks post-game analytics report. This recurring deep dive breaks down the analytics behind each Canucks game as recorded by Natural Stat Trick. In this article, we look back on Vancouver’s most recent 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
Tuesday was essentially a tale of two games. The Canucks got caved in during the first two period but found a way to control play in the third. Despite the strong push at the end, the Senators still won the even-strength scoring chances battle 33-19 while also skating away having more even-strength high-danger scoring chances by a count of 15-12.
As for the heatmap, it provides a good visual as to why Vancouver struggled. Th Canucks could not protect the front of the net, which forced Kevin Lankinen to face 11 high-danger shots. Luckily, Lankinen was able to stop all 11, which is why Vancouver was able to stay in this game until the final whistle.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Ottawa Senators, January 13, 2026, Natural Stat Trick
To wrap things up, the Canucks best trio was the Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Linus Karlsson line. Not only did they score the only goal, but they held an 8-5 scoring chances advantage during their 9:37 together. This line continues to develop chemistry and has now put forward several strong performances for Vancouver over the past few weeks.
Jan 13, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32) makes a save on Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) in the first period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images
The Canucks wrap up their six-game homestand on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus recently made a coaching change, with Rick Bowness taking over behind the bench. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT.
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