The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Boston Bruins 5-4 in a shootout on Saturday night, extending their winning streak to four games since trading Quinn Hughes. Rookie Liam Ohgren scored the decisive goal in the seventh round, marking his first NHL shootout attempt. The victory highlights the immediate impact of new acquisitions from Minnesota.
In Boston, the Vancouver Canucks secured a thrilling 5-4 shootout win over the Bruins, propelled by fresh talent acquired in last Friday's blockbuster trade of Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. The game, played on December 20, 2025, showcased the Canucks' resilience, as they overcame a late tie to claim victory in a marathon tiebreaker.
Liam Ohgren, a 21-year-old Swedish rookie who had no points in 18 games with Minnesota before the trade, emerged as the hero. He beat Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman with a delayed deke in the seventh round, his first NHL shootout attempt. Ohgren also contributed a third-period deflection goal off Marcus Pettersson's shot during a faceoff play and assisted Max Sasson's first-period goal, helping Vancouver tie the opening frame 1-1 despite being outshot 13-4. Overall, Ohgren has two goals and an assist in the four wins since the trade, plus the shootout winner.
Fellow Swedish rookie Linus Karlsson added two goals, one in the second period off Evander Kane's setup and another in the third from Marco Rossi. Backup goaltender Kevin Lankinen was stellar, making 42 saves, stopping all six overtime shots, and denying all seven Bruins in the shootout—extending his career record to 45/51 on breakaways. The own-goal tie at 4-4 came off Andrew Peeke's shot with 3:44 left in regulation.
Coach Adam Foote credited Brock Boeser for suggesting Ohgren as the shooter, noting his recent hot streak. "Boes kept looking at me and pointing at Liam," Foote said. Ohgren reflected, "I wanted to make a good first impression. It feels like I've done that."
Lankinen emphasized team effort: "Just sticking with it... Tonight was a battle, but sometimes that's what it takes." The "Minnesota Three"—Ohgren, Rossi, and Zeev Buium—have injected energy, as veteran Conor Garland noted: "They’ve probably been our best players on this trip."
Vancouver, now four points from a playoff spot, eyes a road trip sweep in Philadelphia. Injuries persist, with Elias Pettersson missing his seventh game and Nils Hoglander scratched for load management.
