Canucks rally past Kraken to close preseason, spotlighting Malhotra’s process

The Story

The Vancouver Canucks closed their preseason with a positive note on Saturday, overcoming early deficits to defeat the Seattle Kraken in a game that, for at least one night, looked closer to a regular-season NHL matchup than typical exhibition fare.

Head coach Manny Malhotra emphasized the on-ice focus the Canucks have been working toward throughout camp, saying the performance reflected the “response that we were looking” while remaining “process-driven” even after falling behind.

Malhotra acknowledged the scoreboard wasn’t ideal early, adding that while the Canucks were “never wanting to fall behind by two,” they maintained their attention on what he wanted to see defensively and in their structure rather than letting the game’s momentum carry them off the plan.

The Canucks’ ability to erase multiple Kraken leads underscored that message for the group, particularly for players still trying to lock down roles as opening-day roster decisions approach. Zeev Buium, one of several Vancouver defenders who helped change the flow later in the night, credited the win to sticking to what Malhotra “preached on us throughout the entire camp.”

Seattle controlled stretches of the opening period, outshooting Vancouver 2-to-1 and also holding the edge in goals by a similar margin. The Kraken opened the scoring on a power play when Brandon Montour fired a one-timer from the point; Marco’s Cotter’s stick appeared to be in the lane, with the puck deflecting off his stick and slipping under Vancouver goaltender Kevin Lankinen’s blocker.

The Kraken quickly pushed the lead further after a breakdown at the defensive end. Lankinen kicked out a rebound that found Bobby McMann in the middle of the ice for an easy finish, a sequence that set the tone for an early game Vancouver would have to work to reverse.

Even so, Vancouver managed to regain momentum by responding in key moments. The Canucks scored on a power play drawn by Paul O’Connor when Marco Rossi set up Filip Hronek at the point; Hronek’s shot then pinballed through traffic before finding the net on a double deflection involving Jake DeBrusk tipping the puck in the bumper and it subsequently caroming off Boeser’s stick.

Elias Pettersson described the team’s first-period execution as incomplete, saying, “I didn’t like our first. I thought we played on pause.” In his view, the next two periods were cleaner and more purposeful, with the group becoming “more direct, more simple” and making “everybody” get to the right position and support one another.

As the game moved deeper, Pettersson’s line began to look like a potential top-level combination. The Canucks created their second goal through a sequence built around their forecheck and quick creativity, with DeBrusk winning the puck before feeding Lekkerimäki, who slipped a pass through a defender’s legs to Pettersson. Pettersson then finished with a backhand to tie the score.

Pettersson was also strong in faceoffs during the game, dominating draws in his first preseason outing against prospects and minor-league players earlier in the camp. This time, he went 11-for-14 against what the Canucks faced as “legitimate NHL centres,” a notable detail given his career faceoff percentage of 46.1%.

Seattle re-established its lead in the early third period after Vancouver’s defensive coverage broke down momentarily in the offensive end. Filip Hronek was caught deep on a pinch, and DeBrusk went in after a puck instead of holding the defensive line. That opened the door to a 2-on-1, which ended when Berkly Catton beat Lankinen with a deke to the backhand.

The Canucks did not challenge the play, even though the goal appeared possibly offside; in preseason, coaches have challenges available, and the game continued without an immediate review.

From there, Vancouver sustained pressure and pushed play in waves, with Pettersson drawing another penalty that returned the Canucks to the power play. This time, the second unit produced: Tom Willander protected the puck to carry it into the offensive zone before finding Linus Karlsson, who then set up an aggressive Zeev Buium for a backdoor finish to tie the game.

The late-game power play goal also reflected a theme Malhotra referenced about detail and execution. After Vancouver drew the penalty, the Canucks maintained possession through multiple potential clearances—an extended series of puck recoveries that kept the Kraken from getting out.

Vancouver ultimately took the lead on another power-play tally that came shortly after a penalty expired. The deciding goal featured crisp movement starting with Hronek and Pettersson setting up Boeser in the bumper; the shot was described as deflecting off DeBrusk’s body, with Boeser noting the redirect: “It nicked Jake’s butt.”

The win was also notable for the physical tone that developed as the game tightened. Post-whistle scrums emerged as tempers rose and both teams pushed for positioning in the final stretch, culminating in an incident that had an edge of discipline rather than chaos.

Pettersson delivered a hard hit in open ice and then challenged to fisticuffs by Ryan Winterton. The exchange resulted in Pettersson drawing a roughing penalty, described as avoiding the instigator label, which sent Vancouver back to the power play.

While Vancouver did not capitalize immediately in that subsequent power-play sequence, the overall comeback mattered as the preseason concluded. Malhotra framed the final result as a capstone to the team’s work, saying the group “put it all together” defensively—closing plays quickly and tightening breakouts—while also showing more willingness to create around the net offensively.

With preseason over, the focus turns to roster management. The Canucks are scheduled to finalize their opening-day roster by Monday at 2:00 p.m. PCT, and based on the players identified in camp, the next moves could include Nikita Tolopilo hitting waivers and Chris Driedger being released from his PTO on Sunday as Leevi Meriläinen joins the group. Barring waiver claims, only one cut would remain among the remaining candidates highlighted, with potential possibilities tied to players such as Arshdeep Bains, Guillaume Brisebois, Victor Mancini, and—in the game’s late-season storyline—Marco’s Lekkerimäki.

For a team still building its identity around systems and responsiveness, the late run against Seattle provided a clear, practical example of what the coaching staff has been emphasizing: recover the puck, play the right structure, and turn process into scoring opportunities when the chances arrive.