- Oct 16, 2026
- 0
- 0
SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
The Vancouver Canucks have stabilized their penalty kill after an abysmal opening stretch, climbing from a 52 percent success rate to allowing just one power-play goal in the five games since their first perfect shorthanded effort against the New York Islanders.
That lone power-play goal-against came Saturday in a 4–2 defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver's most recent contest following a season-opening 6–5 overtime victory against the Edmonton Oilers on September 29. The current main penalty-kill unit features Drew O'Connor, Filip Hronek, forward Elias Pettersson and defenseman Elias Pettersson.
Forward Elias Pettersson leads the club with 10 points through 10 games, skating on a top line with Jake DeBrusk and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. Defenseman Pettersson has been elevated to the top pairing alongside Hronek, logging more than 20 minutes in three of the past four contests.
Goaltender Leevi Meriläinen, claimed off waivers, has posted a save percentage above .920 in three of four starts. The Canucks have scored 30 goals, tied for eighth in the NHL, though they have not netted more than two in any game since the opener. Paul Cotter paces the team with four goals, all in the first four games.
A team source indicated that learning and development throughout the year will outweigh standings results.
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).