The Vancouver Canucks will take on the Dallas Stars for the first game of their upcoming five-game road trip, doing so after dropping their past two games. Vancouver’s last win was a week ago today during their home-opener against the Calgary Flames. Dallas remains undefeated on the season after beating the Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, and Minnesota Wild in their first three games.
The last time the Canucks faced the Stars was when Vancouver overcame a 5–2 deficit with a minute left in the third period to send the game to overtime. Kiefer Sherwood scored the game-winner in the extra frame to win the game 6–5 for Vancouver.
One thing Vancouver will need to improve on to win tonight’s game is how they play during the first period. Their past two games have featured slow starts, as they have registered a combined total of 12 shots during their past two first-periods.
Tonight’s game marks Vancouver’s first back-to-back of the season, as the team will take on the Chicago Blackhawks less than 12 hours after the end of this game. Because of this, the Canucks will need to be mindful about making sure they play well while preserving energy for the day after. Fans can expect Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen to split the starts during these two games, though head coach Adam Foote has yet to confirm which goaltender will start which game.
Elias Pettersson
The player that many Canucks fans have had their eyes on for the past few games is Elias Pettersson, who has yet to score his first goal of the 2025–26 season. While he has been skating alongside Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser for the first few games, Foote noted yesterday during practice that he is thinking of putting Pettersson with Conor Garland and maybe Evander Kane. These three were paired together at various points during their Monday night game against the St. Louis Blues, but it looks like they may be together for more than that moving forward. Pettersson and Garland have found success together in the past, so this unit will be one to watch come puck drop tonight.
Thomas Harley
Harley, a defenceman, is one of three Stars players who leads their team in points currently — the other two being Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz. He also leads the Stars in even-strength points with a goal and three assists in 48:45 total minutes played. Harley is coming off his first 50-point season, during which he stepped in as a surprise injury replacement during the 4 Nations Faceoff. Since then, he has taken the opportunities provided to him and has already impressed in his first three games of this season.
Vancouver Canucks (1–2–0):
Points:
Kiefer Sherwood: 3–0–3
Brock Boeser: 2–0–2
Filip Chytil: 2–0–2
Jake DeBrusk: 0–2–2
Arshdeep Bains: 0–2–2
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 1–1–0
Kevin Lankinen: 0–1–0
Dallas Stars (3–0–0):
Points:
Mikko Rantanen: 1–4–5
Roope Hintz: 1–4–5
Thomas Harley: 1–4–5
Wyatt Johnston: 3–1–4
Jason Robertson: 2–2–4
Goaltenders:
Jake Oettinger: 3–0–0
Game Information:
Start time: 5:00 pm PT
Venue: American Airlines Center
Television: SportsnetRadio: Sportsnet 650
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