The Canucks extinguish the Ducks

Fifty-eight seconds turn Anaheim's lead to ash

The round that burned them

The Vancouver Canucks knew this round. Last season the round of 16 was where their candle went dark, beaten by the Seattle Kraken. Now they were back in the same round against the Anaheim Ducks, a club that finished 30th of 32 last season and was snuffed on qualification night a year ago. Both had survived qualification night this time, the Canucks over the Blackhawks and the Ducks over the Sharks. One of them would leave Honda Center with no flame, and 11 would still burn on the shelves.

Fifty-eight seconds of fire

Anaheim struck first. Olen Zellweger, a defenseman, snapped home a power-play goal at 5:35 of the first, set up by Troy Terry and Mason McTavish. Then Vancouver flipped it. With Isac Lundeström off for high sticking, Brock Boeser tipped in a power-play goal at 16:22 from Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. Just 0:58 later, Kiefer Sherwood ripped a slap shot off feeds from Erik Brannstrom and Danton Heinen. The Canucks never trailed again.

Tip-ins seal it

Elias Pettersson tipped one in at 2:20 of the second, with Hughes assisting again. The scoring then stopped for 29:48 until Jake DeBrusk tipped in another at 12:08 of the third, and Hughes had his third assist. Heinen's wrist shot at 18:18 closed it out. Kevin Lankinen stopped 21 of 22. Lukas Dostal made 32 saves at the other end, but Anaheim's candle went cold anyway. Vancouver burns on.