Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks hold off Vancouver Canucks for 5-3 win

By Canadian Press on March 24, 2026.

VANCOUVER — Mikael Granlund scored twice, Alex Killorn had a goal and an assist, and the Anaheim Ducks outlasted the Vancouver Canucks for a 5-3 victory on Thursday.

Mason McTavish and Troy Terry — into an empty net — also scored for the Ducks (40-27-4). John Carlson had three assists and Lukas Dostal stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced.

Anaheim grabbed a 2-1 lead in the second period, only to see Vancouver rally and tie the game twice before McTavish scored the game winner at the 5:45 mark of the final frame.

Jake DeBrusk, Brock Boeser and Drew O’Connor each had a goal for the Canucks (21-40-8), while Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson each contributed a pair of assists. Kevin Lankinen made 29 saves.

Pettersson’s second helper of the night marked the 500th regular-season point of his NHL career.

Anaheim remains atop the Pacific Division with a five-point cushion on the second-place Edmonton Oilers.

Ducks defenceman Radko Gudas returned to the lineup after serving a five-game suspension for the knee-on-knee hit on Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews.

The blow left Matthews with a torn knee ligament that required season-ending surgery.

TAKEAWAYS

Canucks: Consistently battled back, tying the game at 2-2 and 3-3. … Got solid play from their special teams. DeBrusk and Boeser each scored power-play goals, and the penalty kill weathered a 95-second-long 5-on-3 before conceding Granlund’s goal late in a penalty to defenceman Elias Pettersson.

Ducks: Fell behind 1-0 in the opening frame, then tilted the ice in the second, outshooting Vancouver 14-12 and scoring a pair of goals over a two-minute 24-second span. … McTavish got his first goal in 15 games. His last came on Jan. 19. … The Ducks have points in five straight games (4-0-1).

KEY MOMENT

McTavish buried his 14th goal of the season at the 5:45 mark of the third period, blasting a one-timer over Lankinen’s glove from the faceoff dot to give the Ducks a 4-3 lead.

KEY STAT

Pettersson tallied his 500th regular-season point in his 533rd game. Thomas Gradin is the lone Canuck to hit the milestone faster, doing so in 529 games.

UP NEXT

Ducks: Visit the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

Canucks: Host the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2026.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press