LATEST | Statement regarding the Canucks following Saturday's win

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Cooper Godin
December 24, 2023 (9:34)

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The Vancouver Canucks played their final game ahead of the holiday break on Saturday night as they hosted the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena.

Thanks to goals from Andrei Kuzmenko, (x2), Quinn Hughes, Nils Aman, Dakota Joshua, Sam Lafferty and Pius Suter, the Canucks walked away with a 7-4 win, recording their 23rd victory of the season.

With the win, the Canucks leapfrogged the Vegas Golden Knights and now sit first place in the entire National Hockey League with 49 points (23 W - 9 L - 3 OTL).

Following the win, Sportsnet Stats on X made a statement regarding the Canucks, saying that they're the first Canadian team to be first in the NHL standings at Christmas since the Ottawa Senators in 2005.

"#Canucks are the first Canadian franchise to sit atop the NHL's overall standings at Christmas since the Senators in 2005" Sportsnet Stats said.

While many in the hockey community were expecting the Vancouver Canucks to take a step forward this year, no one could have predicted this. To have 23 wins in their first 35 games, sitting first in the Pacific Division, Western Conference and NHL standings must be an incredible feeling for everyone involved in the organization and the fan base too.

It'll be interesting to see how the Canucks do from the end of the holiday break until the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. If the Canucks can continue to prove that they're going to be a contending team this season, there's a very good chance that Patrik Allvin could go out closer to the trade deadline and add a big name, such as Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who's expected to come with a hefty price tag.

The Canucks will return from the holiday break with a matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, December 28th at Rogers Arena, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET on Sportsnet Pacific.