Vancouver Canucks at Boston Bruins
NHL game between the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins on Dec 21, 2025. Final score: Vancouver Canucks 5, Boston Bruins 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 21, 2025 |
| Venue | TD Garden |
| Vancouver Canucks score | 5 |
| Boston Bruins score | 4 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Linus Karlsson | C | 2 | 1 | 3 | 13:01 | 0.32 | 2.34 |
| 2nd | Liam Ohgren | L | 1 | 1 | 3 | 12:21 | 0.40 | 1.54 |
| 3rd | Morgan Geekie | C | 1 | 1 | 4 | 18:39 | 1.22 | 1.39 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Vancouver Canucks–Boston Bruins) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 08:23 | BOS | Morgan Geekie | Charlie McAvoy, Elias Lindholm | 5v4 | 0–1 |
| 1st 19:45 | VAN | Max Sasson | Liam Ohgren, Linus Karlsson | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 04:22 | VAN | Linus Karlsson | Evander Kane, Filip Hronek | 4v5 | 2–1 |
| 2nd 09:41 | BOS | Pavel Zacha | Nikita Zadorov, Casey Mittelstadt | 4v4 | 2–2 |
| 2nd 12:05 | BOS | Tanner Jeannot | Mark Kastelic, Fraser Minten | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 03:53 | VAN | Linus Karlsson | Marco Rossi | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| 3rd 07:34 | VAN | Liam Ohgren | Marcus Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk | 5v5 | 4–3 |
| 3rd 16:16 | BOS | Andrew Peeke | Marat Khusnutdinov, Morgan Geekie | 5v5 | 4–4 |
| P5 00:00 | VAN | Liam Ohgren | — | 0v1 | 4–4 |
Team Comparison
| Vancouver Canucks | Boston Bruins | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 23 | 43 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.11 | 6.06 |
| High-danger shots | 18 | 24 |
| Corsi % | 40.0% | 60.0% |
| Power play | 1/4 | 1/3 |
| Faceoff % | 39.0% | 61.0% |
| Hits | 29 | 20 |
| Blocks | 15 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 16 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 6 |
Vancouver Canucks Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linus Karlsson | C | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 13:01 | 0.32 | 2.34 |
| Liam Ohgren | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12:21 | 0.40 | 1.54 |
| Filip Hronek | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 27:41 | 0.06 | 0.74 |
| Jake DeBrusk | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 17:58 | 0.28 | 0.69 |
| Max Sasson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10:14 | 0.18 | 0.65 |
| Marco Rossi | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23:53 | 0.00 | 0.59 |
| Marcus Pettersson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22:00 | 0.02 | 0.59 |
| Evander Kane | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:39 | 0.06 | 0.49 |
| Aatu Räty | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:48 | 0.04 | 0.35 |
| Kiefer Sherwood | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:59 | 0.23 | 0.25 |
| Zeev Buium | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:18 | 0.21 | 0.15 |
| Elias Pettersson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:46 | 0.05 | 0.15 |
| Conor Garland | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:46 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Drew O'Connor | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:30 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Tom Willander | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:06 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Tyler Myers | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:33 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| Brock Boeser | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:22 | 0.02 | -0.05 |
| David Kampf | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:16 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
Boston Bruins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Geekie | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 18:39 | 1.22 | 1.39 |
| Mark Kastelic | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 14:28 | 0.29 | 0.99 |
| Tanner Jeannot | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14:48 | 0.07 | 0.95 |
| Andrew Peeke | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 22:17 | 0.04 | 0.80 |
| Pavel Zacha | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 18:35 | 0.35 | 0.75 |
| Fraser Minten | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15:42 | 0.11 | 0.74 |
| Nikita Zadorov | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 24:17 | 0.11 | 0.69 |
| Elias Lindholm | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20:29 | 0.48 | 0.69 |
| Marat Khusnutdinov | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15:23 | 0.11 | 0.69 |
| Charlie McAvoy | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 24:59 | 0.43 | 0.59 |
| Casey Mittelstadt | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:45 | 0.36 | 0.54 |
| Sean Kuraly | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:12 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Mason Lohrei | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14:42 | 0.33 | 0.05 |
| Victor Soderstrom | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:36 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| David Pastrnak | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21:23 | 0.54 | -0.05 |
| Jeffrey Viel | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:22 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Hampus Lindholm | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 23:51 | 0.17 | -0.15 |
| Michael Eyssimont | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9:28 | 0.08 | -0.15 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Lankinen | Vancouver Canucks | 39 | 43 | 90.7% | 2.89 | W |
| Jeremy Swayman | Boston Bruins | 19 | 23 | 82.6% | -0.88 | O |
Analysis
The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Boston Bruins 5–4 on Dec 21, 2025, a one-goal game.
Boston Bruins generated 6.06 expected goals to Vancouver Canucks's 4.11 — Boston Bruins owned the better of the chances but Vancouver Canucks took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Linus Karlsson led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.34 on 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal.
Kevin Lankinen stopped 39 of 43, worth 2.89 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Vancouver Canucks vs Boston Bruins game?
The Vancouver Canucks beat the Boston Bruins 5–4 on Dec 21, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Vancouver Canucks 5, Boston Bruins 4.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Linus Karlsson led all skaters at 2.34, on 2G, 1A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Boston Bruins generated 6.06 expected goals and Vancouver Canucks generated 4.11, so Boston Bruins created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Vancouver Canucks put 23 shots on goal and Boston Bruins put 43. High-danger chances went 18 to 24.
How did the goaltenders play?
Kevin Lankinen stopped 39 of 43 (2.89 goals saved above expected); Jeremy Swayman stopped 19 of 23 (-0.88 goals saved above expected).