Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at <a class="text-accent" href="https://canucksarmy.com/schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CanucksArmy</a> where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s <a class="text-accent" href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vancouver Canucks</a> game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2111" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="329"></div>
&nbsp;
We&#8217;re back in Game 81, reacting instantly to tonight&#8217;s Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks game.
Tonight, the Canucks have two new faces in the lineup as Kirill Kudryavtsev and Nikita Tolopilo made their NHL debuts. Along with them, Ty Mueller is back centring a line with Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser. Aatu Räty and Linus Karlsson are also in the lineup, marking five Abbotsford players up with the big club and in the lineup tonight.
Here are the Canucks lineup configurations for tonight&#8217;s match:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
How we&#39;re stacking up against the Sharks.
📺 Sportsnet 📻 Sportsnet 650 <a href="https://t.co/XhYSyElk09">pic.twitter.com/XhYSyElk09</a>
&mdash; Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Canucks/status/1911964553900069289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The game starts with a chance for Mueller to get his first point in the NHL, off a DeBrusk shot. But shortly after, Victor Mancini would take a high-sticking penalty. Luckily for Mancini, the Sharks wouldn&#8217;t muster up a threatening chance, and the Canucks would kill the penalty.
It took a little while to get a Nikita Tolopilo sighting, but the man making his first career NHL start finally got tested over seven minutes into the game:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Nikita Tolopilo makes his first big save as a member of the Vancouver Canucks! 
🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/TV6UcXMmbA">pic.twitter.com/TV6UcXMmbA</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911968822501970392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Ty Dellandrea steals the puck at the Canucks blueline, enters the zone and drops the puck back to Danil Gushchin, who rips a shot on net and Tolopilo gets a blocker on it and pushes it into the corner.
Tolopilo had another nice save on Macklin Celebrini later in the period but finished the opening frame relatively untested, facing just three shots in the opening frame.
With the Canucks blueline continuing to find the injury report, Elias Pettersson earned the promotion tonight up on a pairing with Quinn Hughes. However, it was Pettersson who joined the rush and carried the puck through the offensive zone, but ended up drawing a four-minute high-sticking penalty, sending the Canucks to the power play.
The power play was quite dangerous, registering five shots on goal within the opening 1:30 of the man-advantage. But none more threatening than when Quinn Hughes sends a cross-ice, blueline-to-blueline pass to spring Boeser on a partial breakaway:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Quinn Hughes makes a ridiculous pass to spring Brock Boeser in on a partial break.
🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/lMVH15AACg">pic.twitter.com/lMVH15AACg</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911969555800609135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Canucks had a strong push in the opening frame, but Alexandar Georgiev would stop all 12 shots he faced and we enter the first intermission scoreless.
The Nils Höglander &#8211; Pius Suter &#8211; Conor Garland line would kick off the first period with some pressure early on, registering three shot attempts in the first 30 seconds, but could not find one on net.
Then Victor Mancini would take his second penalty of the game, give the Sharks another man-advantage, where the North Vancouver native made the the Canucks pay:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Macklin Celebrini goes bar down. He puts the Sharks up 1-0 
🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/8Ne83NtuUr">pic.twitter.com/8Ne83NtuUr</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911979989601554651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It&#8217;s hard to fully blame Tolopilo on this goal. If you&#8217;re one-on-one with a shooter, you normally trust your goalie to make the save. But c&#8217;mon, that was a snipe that not a lot of goalies could stop, let alone a goalie making his first NHL start. Also, don&#8217;t love the Canucks&#8217; defensive positioning here. Pettersson has to get a stick in the lane of the bumper, which just opens up a clear uncontested shooting lane for Celebrini to find up and pick his spot and give the Sharks the lead.
1-0 Sharks.
Shortly after the goal, it would be easy for the rookie goaltender to get in his head and over-commit on the next shot he faced. But Tolopilo stayed poised and made his second big stop on Gushchin of the game.
After some offensive zone pressure, Suter would get tripped up at the net front, sending the Canucks on a power play of their own. The top unit was able to sustain good pressure, but it almost felt like they were trying to force the play to Suter at the netfront, and the Sharks knew what was coming. They were able to minimize any threat of Suter scoring in the slot area.
Much like earlier, the Canucks wouldn&#8217;t capitalize on the power play. And again, much like earlier, Victor Mancini would take his third penalty of the game.
Vancouver had a solid penalty kill, holding the Sharks to just one shot on the power play. However, it was the Canucks who got the two best chances, one with Blueger and Suter, but the best one coming off the stick of Drew O&#8217;Connor:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Drew O&#39;Connor is stopped on a partial breakaway. 
🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZqZy2MFqMz">pic.twitter.com/ZqZy2MFqMz</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911986536410980817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
O&#8217;Connor wins the foot race to the puck, with Georgiev contemplating coming out to challenge for the puck. He would ultimately retreat, and with him far out of his net, O&#8217;Connor tries to beat him five-hole, but Georgiev keeps the Canucks scoreless.
Aatu Räty would get injured after taking an open ice hit near the tail end of the period. While he did go down the tunnel, he would rejoin the team for the third period.
The Canucks were sent to back-to-back power plays in the third period. And much like their first two attempts, they generated multiple threatening chances but could not convert.
It wasn&#8217;t a relatively busy debut for the Tolopilo, but he did make some great saves, including this one on Celebrini trying to nab his second of the game:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Nikita Tolopilo makes a nice glove save! He&#39;s been solid for the Canucks in his debut. 
🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/R5nvQmMG61">pic.twitter.com/R5nvQmMG61</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911994823902695673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Despite registering 21 shots, the Canucks could not find a way to beat Georgiev. He stopped all 21 shots he faced, that was until Linus Karlsson found the equalizer:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
🚨VANCOUVER GOAL🚨
Go to the net and good things will happen! Linus Karlsson ties the game! 
🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/qn7tbM2i1L">pic.twitter.com/qn7tbM2i1L</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911995296915341337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
O&#8217;Connor carries the puck into the zone, passing it back to Blueger. He sent a floater toward the net, hoping O&#8217;Connor could get a stick on it, but it harmlessly went off the pad of Georgiev. But instead of controlling the rebound, the puck bounces off his pad and Linus Karlsson is there to chip the puck up and in to tie the game and give the Canucks some life.
1-1 Tie game.
Just over a minute after the Canucks tied it, Tolopilo comes up with a big save that helps spark some offence:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
A Nikita Tolopilo save at one end leads to a couple of Canuck chances at the other. 
🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/SaKE71PHuP">pic.twitter.com/SaKE71PHuP</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911996595215950135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A lapse in the defensive zone leaves Alexander Wennberg all alone in the slot. He bobbles the puck and turns back to feed Tyler Toffoli, who has a clear shot on net. Tolopilo comes out to challenge and kicks the shot off the pad for Filip Hronek to clear the zone.
That clearance just so happened to be the perfect pass for Blueger to skate onto, who&#8217;s in all alone on Georgiev. Blueger takes it from left to right and tries to beat the Sharks&#8217; netminder on the far side, but Georgiev kicks his pad out and makes the stop. O&#8217;Connor can&#8217;t pick it up as the trailer, but Karlsson grabs it and attempts a wrap-around, but the Sharks back-checkers make that stop.
The final nine minutes had the Canucks outshooting the Sharks 4-1, but neither team could find the winner and we were off to overtime.
Aatu Räty won the opening faceoff and controlled nearly the entire overtime period, outside of one Timothy Liljegren shot 40 seconds into extra time.
Quinn Hughes worked his magic, dancing around the offensive zone and nearly found the game-winner twice. But he would find an assist on DeBrusk&#8217;s game-winning overtime goal to tie Alex Edler for most points by a defenceman in franchise history:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
🚨VANCOUVER GOAL🚨
Jake DeBrusk scores his career high 28th goal of the season and it&#39;s the OT winner! 
Quinn Hughes ties Alex Edler for the most points by a defenceman in Canucks history! 
🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/OjsOdGyXjq">pic.twitter.com/OjsOdGyXjq</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1912002830308950518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hughes winds the puck behind the net and finds Boeser in the slot for a shot that misses the net. But it was the perfect miss as it bounces outfront to DeBrusk who shovels it through Georgiev&#8217;s five-hole and gives the Canucks the overtime win.
2-1 Canucks.
Final.
<h1>Takeaways</h1>
&#8211; Despite the slow night, Tolopilo had a solid debut. He only faced 16 shots, but made some big saves and secured his first win in the NHL. With just one game remaining, it&#8217;s unlikely he&#8217;ll get another start this season, but the taste of NHL action was a promising sign heading into next season.
&#8211; Kudryavtsev was solid. He logged just 13:33 minutes of ice time but finished with one shot on goal and a plus-one rating. The saying for a defenceman is that if you don&#8217;t notice him, that&#8217;s a good thing. He wasn&#8217;t all that flashy, but he made some solid plays in the defensive zone, poking the puck off Sharks&#8217; sticks that led to zone exits.
&#8211; Boeser would only finish the game with three shots on goal, but he was buzzing around all game. He had a ton of scoring chances, trying to find what could be his final goal in Rogers Arena. He did pick up an assist on DeBrusk&#8217;s overtime winner, but all eyes will be on him on Wednesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights to potentially grab one last goal.
What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below. And be sure to tune into Rink Wide Vancouver moments after the final horn!
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="RINK WIDE POST-GAME: Vancouver Canucks vs San Jose Sharks | Game 81 - Apr. 14, 2025" width="1333" height="1000" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MuqvcXDF9z0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Sponsored by bet365
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="329" data-promotion-id="19111" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
&nbsp;

Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at <a class="text-accent" href="https://canucksarmy.com/schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CanucksArmy</a> where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s <a class="text-accent" href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vancouver Canucks</a> game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2111" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="329"></div>
&nbsp;

We're back in Game 81, reacting instantly to tonight's Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks game.

Tonight, the Canucks have two new faces in the lineup as Kirill Kudryavtsev and Nikita Tolopilo made their NHL debuts. Along with them, Ty Mueller is back centring a line with Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser. Aatu Räty and Linus Karlsson are also in the lineup, marking five Abbotsford players up with the big club and in the lineup tonight.

Here are the Canucks lineup configurations for tonight's match:

https://twitter.com/Canucks/status/1911964553900069289

The game starts with a chance for Mueller to get his first point in the NHL, off a DeBrusk shot. But shortly after, Victor Mancini would take a high-sticking penalty. Luckily for Mancini, the Sharks wouldn't muster up a threatening chance, and the Canucks would kill the penalty.

It took a little while to get a Nikita Tolopilo sighting, but the man making his first career NHL start finally got tested over seven minutes into the game:

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911968822501970392

Ty Dellandrea steals the puck at the Canucks blueline, enters the zone and drops the puck back to Danil Gushchin, who rips a shot on net and Tolopilo gets a blocker on it and pushes it into the corner.

Tolopilo had another nice save on Macklin Celebrini later in the period but finished the opening frame relatively untested, facing just three shots in the opening frame.

With the Canucks blueline continuing to find the injury report, Elias Pettersson earned the promotion tonight up on a pairing with Quinn Hughes. However, it was Pettersson who joined the rush and carried the puck through the offensive zone, but ended up drawing a four-minute high-sticking penalty, sending the Canucks to the power play.

The power play was quite dangerous, registering five shots on goal within the opening 1:30 of the man-advantage. But none more threatening than when Quinn Hughes sends a cross-ice, blueline-to-blueline pass to spring Boeser on a partial breakaway:

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911969555800609135

The Canucks had a strong push in the opening frame, but Alexandar Georgiev would stop all 12 shots he faced and we enter the first intermission scoreless.

The Nils Höglander - Pius Suter - Conor Garland line would kick off the first period with some pressure early on, registering three shot attempts in the first 30 seconds, but could not find one on net.

Then Victor Mancini would take his second penalty of the game, give the Sharks another man-advantage, where the North Vancouver native made the the Canucks pay:

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911979989601554651

It's hard to fully blame Tolopilo on this goal. If you're one-on-one with a shooter, you normally trust your goalie to make the save. But c'mon, that was a snipe that not a lot of goalies could stop, let alone a goalie making his first NHL start. Also, don't love the Canucks' defensive positioning here. Pettersson has to get a stick in the lane of the bumper, which just opens up a clear uncontested shooting lane for Celebrini to find up and pick his spot and give the Sharks the lead.

1-0 Sharks.

Shortly after the goal, it would be easy for the rookie goaltender to get in his head and over-commit on the next shot he faced. But Tolopilo stayed poised and made his second big stop on Gushchin of the game.

After some offensive zone pressure, Suter would get tripped up at the net front, sending the Canucks on a power play of their own. The top unit was able to sustain good pressure, but it almost felt like they were trying to force the play to Suter at the netfront, and the Sharks knew what was coming. They were able to minimize any threat of Suter scoring in the slot area.

Much like earlier, the Canucks wouldn't capitalize on the power play. And again, much like earlier, Victor Mancini would take his third penalty of the game.

Vancouver had a solid penalty kill, holding the Sharks to just one shot on the power play. However, it was the Canucks who got the two best chances, one with Blueger and Suter, but the best one coming off the stick of Drew O'Connor:

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911986536410980817

O'Connor wins the foot race to the puck, with Georgiev contemplating coming out to challenge for the puck. He would ultimately retreat, and with him far out of his net, O'Connor tries to beat him five-hole, but Georgiev keeps the Canucks scoreless.

Aatu Räty would get injured after taking an open ice hit near the tail end of the period. While he did go down the tunnel, he would rejoin the team for the third period.

The Canucks were sent to back-to-back power plays in the third period. And much like their first two attempts, they generated multiple threatening chances but could not convert.

It wasn't a relatively busy debut for the Tolopilo, but he did make some great saves, including this one on Celebrini trying to nab his second of the game:

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911994823902695673

Despite registering 21 shots, the Canucks could not find a way to beat Georgiev. He stopped all 21 shots he faced, that was until Linus Karlsson found the equalizer:

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911995296915341337

O'Connor carries the puck into the zone, passing it back to Blueger. He sent a floater toward the net, hoping O'Connor could get a stick on it, but it harmlessly went off the pad of Georgiev. But instead of controlling the rebound, the puck bounces off his pad and Linus Karlsson is there to chip the puck up and in to tie the game and give the Canucks some life.

1-1 Tie game.

Just over a minute after the Canucks tied it, Tolopilo comes up with a big save that helps spark some offence:

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1911996595215950135

A lapse in the defensive zone leaves Alexander Wennberg all alone in the slot. He bobbles the puck and turns back to feed Tyler Toffoli, who has a clear shot on net. Tolopilo comes out to challenge and kicks the shot off the pad for Filip Hronek to clear the zone.

That clearance just so happened to be the perfect pass for Blueger to skate onto, who's in all alone on Georgiev. Blueger takes it from left to right and tries to beat the Sharks' netminder on the far side, but Georgiev kicks his pad out and makes the stop. O'Connor can't pick it up as the trailer, but Karlsson grabs it and attempts a wrap-around, but the Sharks back-checkers make that stop.

The final nine minutes had the Canucks outshooting the Sharks 4-1, but neither team could find the winner and we were off to overtime.

Aatu Räty won the opening faceoff and controlled nearly the entire overtime period, outside of one Timothy Liljegren shot 40 seconds into extra time.

Quinn Hughes worked his magic, dancing around the offensive zone and nearly found the game-winner twice. But he would find an assist on DeBrusk's game-winning overtime goal to tie Alex Edler for most points by a defenceman in franchise history:

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1912002830308950518

Hughes winds the puck behind the net and finds Boeser in the slot for a shot that misses the net. But it was the perfect miss as it bounces outfront to DeBrusk who shovels it through Georgiev's five-hole and gives the Canucks the overtime win.

2-1 Canucks.

Final.
<h1>Takeaways</h1>
- Despite the slow night, Tolopilo had a solid debut. He only faced 16 shots, but made some big saves and secured his first win in the NHL. With just one game remaining, it's unlikely he'll get another start this season, but the taste of NHL action was a promising sign heading into next season.

- Kudryavtsev was solid. He logged just 13:33 minutes of ice time but finished with one shot on goal and a plus-one rating. The saying for a defenceman is that if you don't notice him, that's a good thing. He wasn't all that flashy, but he made some solid plays in the defensive zone, poking the puck off Sharks' sticks that led to zone exits.

- Boeser would only finish the game with three shots on goal, but he was buzzing around all game. He had a ton of scoring chances, trying to find what could be his final goal in Rogers Arena. He did pick up an assist on DeBrusk's overtime winner, but all eyes will be on him on Wednesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights to potentially grab one last goal.

What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below. And be sure to tune into Rink Wide Vancouver moments after the final horn!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuqvcXDF9z0

Sponsored by bet365
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="329" data-promotion-id="19111" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
&nbsp;

Recent articles from Tyson Cole

Breaking News