Canucks rally from two-goal deficit to beat Capitals, snap 11-game winless streak

By Canadian Press on January 21, 2026.

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks erased a 2-0 deficit and snapped an 11-game winless streak with a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.

Brock Boeser, Evander Kane, Drew O’Connor and Filip Hronek scored for the Canucks (17-28-5) at Rogers Arena. Kevin Lankinen made 29 saves in Vancouver’s first win since Dec. 6 against the Minnesota Wild.

Dylan Strome scored twice and Justin Sourdif added another goal for the Capitals (24-21-6), who lost their fourth straight. Logan Thompson stopped 21 shots.

The Capitals took an early 2-0 lead thanks to two first-period power-play goals.

On a 5-on-3 advantage, John Carlson threaded the puck down to Tom Wilson at the goalmouth. He slid the puck across to a wide-open Strome, who tapped it into the open cage with 11:35 left in the first.

Alex Ovechkin then fed a cross-ice pass to Strome, who put the puck on net before Sourdif hammered home his 10th of the season.

Boeser put his team on the board by deflecting an end-boards pass from David Kampf past Thompson for his 11th of the season. With 1:38 remaining in the opening frame, Kane tied the game with a wraparound that bounced off the skate of Capitals defender Matt Roy.

Vancouver gained its first lead of the night when O’Connor converted from the low slot. Hronek finished a give-and-go with Jake DeBrusk three minutes later to make it 4-2, before Strome scored his second of the night with 3:23 remaining.

TAKEAWAYS

Canucks: Teddy Blueger rejoined the lineup after missing three months with a lower-body injury. To make room for the Latvian forward, Vancouver scratched Aatu Raty and reassigned Arshdeep Bains to AHL Abbotsford.

Capitals: Wilson returned after missing eight games with a lower-body injury.

KEY MOMENT

After coach Adam Foote challenged his veterans to step up following Vancouver’s 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders on Monday, Boeser’s goal at 13:32 in the first period kicked off four unanswered Canucks goals by veteran players.

KEY STAT

The win was just the fifth of the season on home ice for the last-place Canucks.

UP NEXT

Canucks: Host the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

Capitals: Visit the Calgary Flames on Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2026.

Carol Schram, The Canadian Press