Elias Pettersson producing as Vancouver Canucks push for playoffs

It’s been a difficult season for the 26-year-old star.

After signing an eight-year, US$92.8-million contract last March, expectations were high for Pettersson coming into the campaign.

Talk of a rift with teammate J.T. Miller swirled before Vancouver dealt Miller to the New York Rangers at the end of January. Rumours of an impeding trade involving Pettersson persisted up until the NHL’s trade deadline earlier this month.

Amid all the speculation, he struggled to produce offensively and went 15 games without a goal between Jan. 21 and March 5.

Since then, Pettersson has four goals and two assists, and has scored in three straight games. He’s now up to 41 points on the season.

Pettersson has been doing little things differently in recent weeks, said Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet.

“He’s still the same guy. He’s a great kid. He’s a really good kid,” he said. “I think now he’s having a little bit more fun in the sense — listen, you score, you should smile and stuff. But he’s playing soccer with the guys, doing some stuff that I think he’s just mixing in.

“I don’t think he has a world on his shoulders right now. But I think he’s just enjoying this run. … I think he’s enjoying the pressure of playing in these type of games.”

Pettersson blasted a shot past Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom at 6:01 of the first period, skimming the top of the inside of the net before the puck bounced back out.

Play continued before Nils Hoglander fired the puck back in. The officials huddled and, after reviewing the play, determined Pettersson’s shot had cross the goal line, giving Vancouver a 4-1 lead.

“I don’t think anyone saw if that went in or not,” said Canucks captain Quinn Hughes. “I was five feet behind. I didn’t know if it went in or not, but he’s playing great. And just got to keep it going.”

The play sparked a three-goal third-period that sealed a key victory for a Vancouver (31-24-11) side that’s battling three other teams for the final Western Conference playoff spot.

It’s a result the Canucks can build on through the final stretch of the season, Pettersson said.

“Learn from the stuff we didn’t do well and then obviously, keep doing the good stuff we did in the first and the third period,” he said. “And hopefully score a lot of goals.”

CHYTIL EXITS

Filip Chytil left the game with about five minutes to go in the third after being hit from behind by Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson.

The Canucks centre’s head snapped back and he went down hard, then struggled to get to his feet before skating off the ice and heading directly to the locker room.

There was no call on the play.

Tocchet did not have an update on Chytil after the game.

“It’s a pretty bad hit. So we’ll see how he is,” he said.

RETURN OF SILOVS

Arturs Silovs stopped 17 of the 19 shots he faced for Vancouver and earned his first win since Nov. 16.

The 23-year-old Latvian goalie improved to 2-6-1 at the NHL level this season with a .861 save percentage and a 3.65 goals-against average.

“It’s ups and downs,” said Silovs, who has spent much of the campaign with the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks.

“There’s always a lot to learn from. And I think for me, it’s maybe not the best experience, but it’s experience, and I think I can grow from that.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2025.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: b771b227b18c999976ea404dde344db702ca096e8c382ec7c9c683a4afc47acc.jpg, Caption:

Vancouver Canucks’ Jake DeBrusk (74), Elias Pettersson (40) and Filip Hronek (17) celebrate Pettersson’s goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday, March 15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

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by Canadian Press

Elias Pettersson producing as Vancouver Canucks push for playoffs

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