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The Vancouver Canucks Are Taking A Lot Of Penalties At Bad Times

The Vancouver Canucks have drawn criticism early in the 2026–27 NHL season for their tendency to take penalties at critical moments, despite their development-focused approach. Through their first five games, Vancouver has accumulated 20 minor penalties—ranking among the league’s highest totals—while averaging 4.37 penalties per 60 minutes.

Notably, they’ve yet to play a game without at least three minor penalties, with two recent losses to the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights each resulting in five penalties and over seven minutes of short-handed play. Four of the 10 penalties in those two games alone were interference calls, a pattern that has cost them momentum in tight contests.

In their season opener, a 6–5 overtime win against Edmonton, a late high-sticking penalty by Linus Karlsson extended the game, while in their next meeting, Marco Rossi’s interference call just minutes after a power-play goal handed the Oilers the lead. Even in a 3–2 loss to Vegas, untimely penalties disrupted what could have been a pivotal offensive surge, underscoring a recurring issue in high-leverage situations.

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