Boeser says what Canucks fans were thinking after Pettersson ends epic goal drought
Shoot the puck.
That’s a familiar refrain from Vancouver Canucks fans when it comes to Elias Pettersson, who has been so reluctant to do so this season. The Canucks’ No. 1 centre has registered two shots or fewer in 44 of 59 games this season, and on 10 occasions, he has been shut out of the shots on goal category entirely.
That wasn’t the case on Tuesday at Rogers Arena, where the Canucks picked up a rare win on home ice — 5-2 against the Florida Panthers.
Also rare? Elias Pettersson scored twice. They were his first goals since Jan. 13.
EP40 ONE-TIMER. šÆ pic.twitter.com/mF1s30XiWN
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 18, 2026
Pettersson also registered four shots on goal in the game, and that doesn’t include a slap shot that hurt Panthers winger Mackie Samoskevich.
Brock Boeser described him as a “confident Petey.”
“We need him to do that. We need him to let that bomb go,” Boeser said. “Even if it hurts a guy, like that’s fine. It creates stuff off of that. We love to see it. You gotta keep bombing it.”
Think a few Canucks fans are nodding their heads as they read that quote.
There’s still a long way to go for Pettersson, who now has 15 goals and 40 points on the season. That leads the Canucks, but it’s not even halfway to his 102-point season in 2022-23 or even his 89-point season in 2023-24.
“I’m trying to simplify and shoot more. I’m glad two went in,” Pettersson told reporters post-game.
“It was nice to get a bounce… I’m just trying to play the right way. I know I still have a lot to do to be where I want to be.”
The last time Pettersson scored 2 or more goals on home ice?
Dec. 23, 2024
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) March 18, 2026
Head coach Adam Foote sees a change in Pettersson of late, lauding the 27-year-old for his work ethic in recent weeks.
“He comes out early, he goes on the bike after games. He’s changed his whole mindset. He’s been doing it for 4-6 weeks now,” Foote told reporters. “He’s taken another step, and he’s owned some of what’s gone on… It’s just nice to see him mature that way. Hopefully, he’ll keep doing it that way, and we’ll see more. But you can definitely see when he got that goal, that he played with a lot more energy.”
Ending a 20-game goal drought will do that to you.
“He’s been working at it. Sometimes you get caught in a little bit of a slump or a rut. You could tell, his energy, the next couple shifts after he got that goal, you could see it. A little bit more pace. He wanted to shoot. It was nice to see.”