Glenn Gawdin scored his first two NHL goals in his hometown on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, propelling the New York Rangers to a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.
Vancouver dropped to a 3-17-1 record while the Rangers improved to 12-8-1, capturing three of four games on their trip and winning five of their past six outings.
Head coach Mike Sullivan praised the team’s performance following the final horn.
Gabe Perreault ties it up for #NYR, snipes one top corner on Canucks goalie Leevi Merilainen. Nice little dish from Alexis Lafrenière from behind the net.
“I think it's a great trip, obviously, when you can take three out of four,” Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan said.
First Period Milestones
The tally marked Pettersson’s fifth goal of the campaign and his first 5-on-5 score since Jan. 13, concluding a 56-game drought, NHL.com reported. Brock Boeser earned an assist on the play to reach 500 career points (233 goals and 267 assists) in his 650th game, becoming the eighth player in Canucks franchise history to hit the milestone, according to The Canadian Press.
How ya feelin' after a four-goal second period, @NYRangers fans?! 🗽 pic.twitter.com/S6J3xGSpFQ
Second-Period Onslaught
The visitors seized control during the middle frame with three goals in a span of three minutes and nine seconds. Oliver Bjorkstrand struck first on a power play at 8:21, collecting a cross-ice feed from J.T. Miller.
Gawdin netted his milestone first NHL goal at 13:00 to make it 3-1 after Merilainen attempted a clearing pass from the top of his crease that bounced off Filip Chytil directly to the 29-year-old forward for a quick blocker-side shot.
Lafreniere pushed the lead to 4-1 at 15:14 by finishing a 3-on-2 passing play, taking a backdoor pass and cutting across the crease around a sprawled Merilainen before tucking it in on the backhand.
“That first game when you get called up is not easy. The pace of play is different, and he's also trying to get comfortable with the group. I was thrilled for him.” Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan said. He’s a great kid. Obviously, he’s coming back to his hometown here, he scores two goals. That’s a great thrill, right?
“There's a lot that goes through your mind over the years,” Glenn Gawdin said.
Rangers Climb Standings as Canucks Fall to 3-17-1
Garand stopped 27 shots for the Rangers, while Merilainen finished with 25 saves for Vancouver. The Canucks fell to 3-17-1 overall, sitting last in the NHL standings on seven points with a league-worst goals-against average of 4.50 and a 63.1 percent penalty kill. The Rangers climbed into third place in the Metropolitan Division with a 12-8-1 record.
Calling the game on the broadcast were MSG Network commentators Kenny Albert and Dave Maloney.
Filip Chytil returned to face his old team after battling a shoulder problem since the end of pre-season, rejoining a Canucks lineup that also featured Marcus Pettersson facing the Rangers for the first time since being traded over the summer.
Special teams statistics heading into the matchup showed the Rangers power play operating at 19.6 percent (ranking 21st of 32) against a Canucks penalty kill at 63.1 percent (32nd of 32), while the Canucks power play sat at 20.6 percent (19th of 32) against a Rangers penalty kill standing at 88.3 percent (3rd of 32).
Gawdin had been called up from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Wednesday after tying for the Wolf Pack lead in points with five goals and nine assists through 16 games on a two-year, two-way contract signed this past offseason.
The game marked the second and final meeting of the season series between the two clubs, following a 6-2 Rangers victory at Madison Square Garden in October.
Vancouver’s injury list included goaltender Thatcher Demko, who has missed the entire season, alongside Sean Durzi and Joe Veleno on injured reserve.
For the Rangers, Igor Shesterkin remained sidelined with a season-long injury.
As the final horn sounded, the Canucks’ losing skid extended to seven straight games (0-7-0), dropping their stretch over the last 18 contests to 1-16-1.
Earlier coverage: Oilers 4 Canucks 2; late goals sink Vancouver
