Canucks’ Losing Streak Extends To Six Games After 5–0 Loss To The Toronto Maple Leafs

With a 5–0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, the Vancouver Canucks’ losing streak has officially hit six games. Despite Vancouver outshooting Toronto, the Canucks were unable to defend efficiently against the Maple Leafs’ onslaught of offence. Thatcher Demko started the game for the Canucks but was replaced by Kevin Lankinen after the first period, with the latter ultimately making 17 saves on 18 shots against.

The Canucks were given a plethora of opportunities to score during the first period, as the Maple Leafs took four different penalties including two too-man-men calls. However, things went catastrophically for the Canucks, as their power play went 0-for-4 during the first period despite putting up their best chances while playing at 4-on-3. Their fifth and sixth power plays, awarded during the second and third period respectively, nearly deepened their deficit after surrendering multiple shorthanded chances to the Maple Leafs. To make matters worse, Toronto scored twice while on the power play.

Advertisement

One of Vancouver’s biggest struggles tonight was their defensive coverage. Turnovers resulted in two of the Maple Leafs’ three first-period goals, while lapses in coverage while shorthanded gave Toronto the opening goal. All five Canucks players skating on one side of the ice gave Max Domi the opportunity to tear down the ice and score Toronto’s second less than 10 minutes later. Toronto’s final goal of the first period came after a turnover in Vancouver’s own zone gave William Nylander and Steven Lorentz a chance off the rush. While not entirely his fault, the three goals-against resulted in Lankinen coming into the game for Demko by the start of the second period.

Tonight was also not a good night for Vancouver’s performance in the faceoff dot, as collectively, the Canucks averaged a faceoff winning percentage of only 30.4%. No natural Canucks centre finished with a faceoff winning percentage above 40%, with Aatu Räty and David Kämpf being the only two to hit higher than 30%.

While this game was primarily negative, there were a couple of individual performances that stood out. Nils Höglander, who has performed well throughout his past few games despite not yet registering his first point of the season, played with some jump tonight. The forward made sure to get the puck to the net when he could, skating well and getting into the zone early.

As well as Höglander, Drew O’Connor had himself yet another noticeable game for the Canucks, putting up two quality chances during the first-half of the first period. The forward also made his presence known by getting into a tussle with some of the Maple Leafs after heading to the net to try and grab any errant pucks for a tip-in. The forward also took a tough tumble along the boards during the second period, resulting in him heading to the dressing room, though he returned to the ice a little while later.

Advertisement

With tonight’s loss and the Winnipeg Jets’ win yesterday, Vancouver officially ranks last in the NHL’s standings. Their losing streak increases to six-straight games, with the team still looking for their first win of 2026.

Stats and Facts:

• Canucks allow three goals in the first period for the first time in 2025–26

• Marcus Pettersson registers his second fight of the season and second as a Canuck

• After going 0-for-6 on the man-advantage, Vancouver’s power play goal streak ends at four games

Scoring Summary:

1st Period: 

8:03 – TOR: Matias Maccelli (7) from William Nylander and Auston Matthews (PPG)

16:31 – TOR: Max Domi (5) from Troy Stecher

19:40 – TOR: William Nylander (15) from Steven Lorentz and Brandon Carlo

2nd Period: 

13:07 – TOR: John Tavares (16) from William Nylander

3rd Period: 

19:46 – TOR: Nick Robertson (10) (PPG)

Up Next: 

The Canucks continue their east-coast swing with a back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday, taking on the Montréal Canadiens on January 12. Like Vancouver, Montréal was also shut-out tonight, dropping their game against the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 4–0. Puck drop for Monday’s game is scheduled for 4:30 pm PT.

Advertisement

Make sure you bookmark THN’s Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don’t forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Why Now Is Not The Time For The Canucks To Trade For Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Canucks’ ECHL-Affiliate Announce Specialty Jerseys In Celebration Of NHL Team

Vancouver Canucks Podcast Rundown: Olympic Rosters And World Junior Heartbreaks

Advertisement

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.