Brief
Canucks endure eighth straight loss after 6-3 defeat to Hurricanes
The loss on Oct. 20 leaves Vancouver winless in eight contests, prompting criticism from players and coach Manny Malhotra.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Vancouver Canucks lost 6-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, Oct. 20, extending their winless streak to eight games, the Canadian Press reported via the Winnipeg Free Press.
What happened
The Hurricanes took a 3-0 lead before Vancouver rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in the third period. Carolina then scored three unanswered goals to seal the win. The defeat marked the Canucks' eighth consecutive loss and their only point in that span came from an overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Oct. 15.
What the reports add
The article notes that Vancouver entered the game with the league’s worst penalty kill at 58.1 percent and managed to hold the defending Stanley Cup champions scoreless on the power play. Goaltender Leevi Merilainen stopped a penalty shot from Carolina’s Sebastian Aho in the second period. The piece also records that the Hurricanes finished the night with an 8-2-1 record.
What was said
“It sucks losing. I don’t have any good words for it,”
star centre Elias Pettersson said, as quoted by the Winnipeg Free Press.
“We’re all professionals. We all want to win. It’s getting really old,”
forward Max Sasson added.
“It’s a really good lesson for our group that when your game lacks details in the third, or when you open up the door against teams that we’ve been playing, they make you pay,”
head coach Manny Malhotra told reporters.
How it came about
The Canucks opened the season with a dramatic overtime win over Edmonton on Oct. 1, but have struggled since, slipping to a 2-8-1 record. Earlier in the month, the team traded for forward Aatu Räty, and had projected lineups featuring Pettersson on the top line, as detailed in Felo’s Oct. 10 article Canucks project lines for Oct. 9 game against Devils. The recent loss follows a series of close games where the Canucks led or were tied entering the third period but ultimately fell short.
Key facts
- Canucks lost 6-3 to Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 20, 2026. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- The defeat extended Vancouver's winless streak to eight games. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Leevi Merilainen stopped a penalty shot from Sebastian Aho. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Vancouver entered the game with the league’s worst penalty kill at 58.1 percent. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Elias Pettersson said, "It sucks losing. I don’t have any good words for it." (winnipegfreepress.com)
Timeline
- 2026-10-01 — Canucks beat Oilers 6-5 in overtime on opening night.
- 2026-10-15 — Canucks earned a single point in an overtime loss to the Florida Panthers.
- 2026-10-20 — Canucks lost 6-3 to Carolina Hurricanes, eighth straight defeat.
Sources
- [1] winnipegfreepress.com — originally reported as “'It sucks losing': Vancouver Canucks struggling through eight-game winless skid”
