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The Dallas Stars turned a close game into a hammering, with the Vancouver Canucks taking another tough hit Monday night in a 6-1 loss at Rogers Arena.
The Canucks scored first, then watched the Stars rip off six straight, pushing the Canucks’ skid to six games.
According to NHL.com, the Stars also made franchise history with their ninth consecutive win, while Vancouver dropped to 18-35-7.
The final score looked brutal, and the flow of the game got worse as it progressed, with the Stars outshooting the Canucks 31-7 over 40 minutes.
Evander Kane gave Vancouver a real start at 7:57 of the first period. He finished a 2-on-1 rush after Jake DeBrusk’s shot bounced off Jake Oettinger and in off Kane’s skate at the far post, putting the Canucks up 1-0 and giving the building some life.
Then the game went into full tilt.
Adam Erne tied it at 17:40 of the first on a strange bounce that deflected off Zeev Buium, kicked off the end boards, and then went in off Nikita Tolopilo’s skate as he scrambled back to the post. It was a weird goal with bad timing, and suddenly Vancouver’s strong first period felt insecure.
When things went wrong
Lian Bichsel put the Stars ahead 2-1 at 8:31 of the second, and just 1:10 later, Jason Robertson made it 3-1 on the power play.
That stretch was the turning point. Kane told NHL.com the Canucks have done a poor job giving up goals in bunches this season, and this game was another example of exactly that.
Bichsel’s night stood out for the Stars. It was his first two-goal game in the NHL, and he was part of a Stars attack that kept finding open space once the Canucks started chasing.
Matt Duchene and Colin Blackwell each added a goal and an assist, and Erne also scored in a balanced Stars effort.
Jake Oettinger only had to stop 13 shots, which tells its own story. Tolopilo finished with 31 saves, but he was left facing too much volume.
I’ve seen ugly Canucks losses before, and this one had that same feeling, where a decent start disappears fast and the game never comes back.
Canucks defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph left early in the third period with an upper-body injury, with Adam Foote saying X-rays were being checked. Tyler Myers also remained out for roster management purposes after taking warmups, which kept the blue-line situation unsettled.
That is a lot to carry into the next game, especially with the trade deadline getting closer.
Canucks Draft Lottery conversation
The loss makes the Canucks’ spot in the NHL draft lottery conversation harder to ignore. The franchise is moving closer to high-pick territory at a time when the standings are starting to tell a different story than the preseason expectations.
With the March 7 trade deadline looming, the front office is staring at real decisions. A playoff push no longer looks realistic, and nights like this only sharpen the focus on what comes next, whether that means short-term roster moves, holding assets, or starting to position the team for the offseason.
Who the Vancouver Canucks play next
Next up is a road game against the Utah Hockey Club.
- Game: Canucks at Utah Hockey Club
- Game Time: Wednesday, March 4 at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT
- TV: Sportsnet Pacific
- Radio: Sportsnet 650
So far, there are no confirmed lineup changes or injury updates to come out of Monday night’s game as of this writing.
Tolopilo’s status heading into Wednesday will be worth monitoring after absorbing a six-goal night, though no sign has indicated he is hurt.
The March 7 trade deadline also adds a layer of uncertainty to any projected lineup, with roster management decisions likely to surface before the Canucks reach Utah.
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