'He's changed his whole mindset': Pettersson's work shines in Vancouver Canucks' win

Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson (40) celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers with his teammates during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

VANCOUVER — Elias Pettersson has been working on his game.

It’s been a difficult season for the star centre and his Vancouver Canucks, one marred by a slew of unexpected setbacks and sharp criticism for the team’s highest-paid player.

Amid the noise and disappointment, Pettersson has been trying to simplify — and shoot more.

The mindset paid off on Tuesday with a pair of first-period power-play goals that helped the Canucks to a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers.

“I think goals could have come earlier, but it is what it is,” Pettersson said after the win. “Happy with the two goals tonight.”

His first came less than four minutes into the game when the Swedish forward unleashed a one-timer from inside the faceoff circle, sending a shot soaring in past Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

It was his first goal in 21 games, with his last coming back on Jan. 13.

Despite the drought, Pettersson has been working on his game, said Canucks head coach Adam Foote.

“I don’t think it’s about necessarily his skill set or things like that. I think he’s just working on his work ethic,” he said. ”He comes out early, he goes the bike after games, he’s changed his whole mindset. He’s been doing it for four to six weeks now.

“It’s nice to see him not get too frustrated. … He’s taken another step, and he’s owned some of what’s gone on. And a lot of it, too, there’s been a lot going on this year. And so it’s just nice to see him mature that way. Hopefully he can keep doing it that way and you’ll see it a lot more.”

Pettersson, 27, now has 15 goals and 25 assists on the season. He leads Vancouver in points but is well off the career-best 102-point campaign he posted in 2022-23.

The shot he showcased on Tuesday is exactly what the Canucks (21-38-8) need, said Brock Boeser.

“A confident Petey. We need him to do that, we need him to let that bomb go,” said the winger, who registered three assists on the night. “And even in the third period, even if it hurts a guy, that’s fine. It creates stuff off of that. So I love to see it, and you gotta keep bombing it.”

Boeser set up Vancouver’s second strike Tuesday, slipping Pettersson a behind-the-back pass that he collected before ripping off a shot that pinged in off a pair of Florida defencemen.

“It was nice to get a bounce to go the right way, but I’m just trying to play the right way,” Pettersson said of the play. “I know I still have a lot to do to be where I want to be, but definitely nice to see two go in tonight.”

The goal, which gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead, sparked chants of “Let’s go Petey!” from the crowd at Rogers Arena.

It also marked the 200th regular-season goal of Pettersson’s NHL career.

“That means a lot,” he said. ”Cool milestones to hit, and hopefully I get to reach more.”

Vancouver remains at the bottom of the NHL standings with 14 games left this season.

The playoffs may be out of reach, but there’s still lots for everyone in the locker room to play for, Pettersson said.

“Just take these games, work on things that you might not be comfortable with, just try to grow every single game to become a better player,” he said.

Jones-ing to return

Defenceman Seth Jones returned to Florida’s lineup after missing 26 games with an upper-body injury.

“It felt awesome,” he said. “I was watching for way too long.”

The 31-year-old American logged 20:16 in ice time with one shot and one hit.

“I felt decent,” Jones said. ”My lungs and legs were a little dead there in the first period but overall I made some decent plays, just trying to focus on the defensive side of the puck, gaps, making good breakout passes. I feel pretty good. Good enough to play.”

Mr. 800

Bobrovsky played his 800th regular-season NHL game on Tuesday, a milestone the 37-year-old goalie said he never imagined growing up in Russia.

“I still can’t believe,” he said after the game.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said Tuesday that the way the veteran netminder prepares shows how much he loves hockey — a fact Bobrovsky enthusiastically confirmed.

“It’s my life, you know, I love everything,” said the two-time Stanley Cup champion. ”I love the preparation. I love the games, the emotions that I have in the games. It’s sometimes you get emotions like tonight, it’s tough but then you wake up in the morning and try to work hard, get out of this, focus on next shot, and then you build the good wave.

“It’s ups and downs, but it’s fun. It’s still inside of me, a little kid that loves the game.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2026.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press