It might not be reflected in recent results, but the Vancouver Canucks believe they are finally heading in the right direction.
uncertain
they → reflect → direction
The Canucks played a good first period, then showed some fight when down two goals in the third, before losing 4-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in NHL play Saturday night.
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Canucks → play → play
Despite having just one win in their last 13 games (1-11-1), head coach Manny Malhotra sees the team making progress.
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team → have → progress
“It’s not closer to where we need to be, or need to get to, but there is progress,” said the first-year NHL bench boss.
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boss → ’ → ?
“It’s frustrating as we talk about these games loss after loss.
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we → ’ → loss
But we do see improvement in different areas of our game.
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we → see → game
It’s just tough to see those when there’s no correlation to wins.”
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It → ’ → wins
Auston Matthews scored his team-leading 11th goal of the season as the Leafs halted a two-game losing skid.
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Leafs → score → skid
William Nylander and Teddy Blueger both had a goal and an assist.
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Nylander → have → goal
Zack MacEwen also scored for Toronto (8-6-2), which wrapped up a four-game road trip (2-2-0).
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which → score → trip
Brock Boeser, on the power play, and Max Sasson scored for the Canucks (3-12-1).
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Boeser → score → Canucks
Canucks goaltender Leevi Merilainen made 24 saves.
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Merilainen → make → saves
Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz stopped 26 shots and also earned an assist on Blueger’s empty-net goal.
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Stolarz → stop → goal
Vancouver played well in the first period, with Boeser scoring on a breakaway to tie the score 1-1.
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Boeser → play → score
The Leafs controlled most of the second period with Matthews and MacEwen scoring.
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Matthews → control → period
Sasson made things interesting early in the third, drawing the Canucks to within a goal by scoring off the rebound of a Brendan Gallagher shot.
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things → make → shot
After losing games by five, three and four goals earlier in the year, Vancouver has tightened up defensively.
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Vancouver → lose → year
“I think our team has played a lot better hockey of late,” said Boeser, who scored his fifth goal of the year.
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who → think → year
“It’s something we can build on.
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we → ’ → ?
“We’re generating more shots and I think our defensive game is coming along and getting better.
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game → generate → shots
You’ve got to look at the little things.
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You → get → things
As long as those are improving, then we’ve got to build off those.
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we → improve → those
We’ve got to stick with the process here.”
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We → get → process
Malhotra liked the Canucks’ forecheck in the first period and the way the team was able to sustain offensive zone pressure.
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team → like → pressure
Vancouver also received strong goaltending from Merilainen, especially when he stopped first-overall pick Gavin McKenna on a power-play chance in the first period.
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he → receive → period
“Every game he’s played this year he’s given us an opportunity to win,” said Malhotra.
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Malhotra → play → opportunity
“He’s made some incredible stops.”
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He → make → stops
After missing the playoffs the last two years, and finishing last overall last season, the Canucks knew they faced a rebuild this campaign.
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they → miss → rebuild
Malhotra said the coaching staff tries to highlight the positive.
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staff → say → positive
“As coaches it’s very easy to watch video and point out all the negatives but you’ve got to catch them doing it,” he said.
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he → ’ → it
“When there are positives we tend to praise those things and celebrate those things and hope we see more of them.”
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we → be → them
Sasson said staying positive in the dressing room isn’t always easy.
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staying → say → room
“It’s tough,” he said.
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he → ’ → ?
“We’ve got a lot of good guys in this room, a lot of guys that want it.
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that → get → it
You’ve just got to stick with it, stick with the process.
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You → get → process
It’s super cliché but that’s all you can do.
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you → ’ → ?
“You keep getting yourself in tight games … and limit their scoring chances and (you’ll) turn this thing around.”
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you → keep → thing
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2026.
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report → publish → Press
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