Defeat should never be tolerated. But if they can pull off a 6-4 loss against the elite Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday, the Canucks will gain respect and patience from fans as their loyalty-test rebuild unfolds. Which one is not?
The Canucks, who have looked uncompetitive and unable to recover from their last two losses and were challenged Wednesday morning by general manager Patrik Allvin to show “more fight,” competed with the surging Hurricanes. The Hurricanes needed an empty-net goal from Nikolaj Ehlers to complete a hat trick that secured the team’s 15th win.Day Win 20 matches.
Even after Carolina scored four straight goals in 10 minutes in the second period to make it 5-2, the Canucks didn’t collapse as they have done in many games since giving up multiple goals since the new year.
Canuck Brock Boeser scored on a 5-on-3 power play late in the second period and Nils Hoglander hit a one-timer off a nice pass from Elias Pettersson at 6:45 of the third to make it 5-4.
And though they came up short, the Canucks, skating at 5-on-5 with their goalie pulled, made the Hurricanes uncomfortable in the final moments before Ehlers scored with 14 seconds left.
I was disappointed but not embarrassed.
“I mean, it’s hard when you’re in a spiral like this,” center Teddy Blueger said. “We lost like we did last game against Dallas (a 6-1 loss on Monday) and you could feel the energy draining away. It’s hard to get back up. Maybe it’s human nature, but we have to fight against it. The least we can do is compete and fight in every game, regardless of the score.
“Obviously we would love to get those two goals back (in the second period) with the fumble, but I think we were pretty good tonight in terms of competing and fighting back and not being intimidated like we were.”
“There was an effort today, I am very happy about it, but we have to be consistent and work for 60 minutes, not 35,” said defender Filip Hronek.
As a group, the Canucks’ best players stood out much more than they have in most games since the team collapsed heading into 2026, now in freefall at 2-17-4 since Dec. 29.
Boeser, certainly not known for his physical abilities, had a career-high seven hits as Vancouver beat Carolina 30-13. Pettersson, especially after being challenged by Allvin during the GM’s morning press conference following the Tyler Myers trade, played with a little more energy and had his second two-point game since Nov. 17. And Hronek, the last defenseman in the Canucks’ National Hockey League playoff run less than two years ago, may have been the best player on either team with a goal, two assists and a plus-2 loss rating.
The final overall Canucks need this more, no matter what else happens before Friday’s trade deadline.
“It makes me feel a lot better when the guys put in that effort,” rookie defenseman Tom Wilander said. “You know, some of these teams are very good and strong, and you can’t win them all. But you always have to compete. I feel like it’s not just about playing well. I feel like if I compete, I get a lot better. I even practice better.”
The Canucks didn’t win even before trading away key players like Quinn Hughes, Kiefer Sherwood and Myers (which is why they traded them to start this rebuild). So now no one expects this hollow team to win. Especially with star goalkeeper Thatcher Demko out for the season after hip surgery.
But what the Canucks lost, along with 21 of their 23 games prior to Wednesday, was basic competitiveness — that basic, expert combination of preparation and execution that every team requires to be respected.
Thirteen of the previous 18 regulation losses were by three or more goals, and in the last two losses, against Seattle on Saturday and at home against Dallas on Monday, Vancouver was outscored 11-2.
Despite what those unfamiliar with the past century may think, this is not the darkest era in franchise history. The Canucks were in danger of being sold and moved several times, and when Brian Burke was hired as GM in 1998, ownership took on the responsibility of saving the franchise in a city where Rogers Arena was half-empty for many nights.
But if the Canucks not only lose, but surrender, this rebuild will get bleak. No one wants to see that.
So Allvin challenged his players to dig in and compete.
“I would like to see more fighting within the group,” he told reporters. “It’s their job, the players’ job and our job to prepare for the fans and play for the top every night. We may lose the game, but we have to play the right way and we have to compete. That’s what I want to see our group here going forward. I want to see us get better. Losing a game is not good for anyone and we owe it to the fans who were great in Vancouver and our players need to play hard every night.”
“I agree 100%,” Willander said. “I think we need more of that. You can’t always be at your best, but you can always work hard. I think you have to compete and show up even on the days you don’t. Not everything goes smoothly, and I think that’s going to be very important later on when you want to win the big games.”
Every Canucks game from now until the end of the season is worthy of respect. From those who need to support rebuilding by buying tickets to attend their games and games.
