Despite a third-period push, the Vancouver Canucks fell on Tuesday 4-2 to the Montréal Canadiens. Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson scored the goals, while Kevin Lankinen stopped 23 of the 26 shots he faced. With the loss, the Canucks stay beneath the playoff bar while dropping their second straight at home.  

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Vancouver had chances, but as has been the case over the last few months, they struggled to capitalize on their opportunities. Montréal was able to build up a 3-0 lead through the first two periods, which ended up being the difference against a Canucks team that hasn't scored more than three goals since January 27. In the end, it was another frustrating loss, which could have serious implications when it comes to Vancouver's push for a postseason berth. 

"We didn't have an answer for the top line, said Rick Tocchet post-game. "Three goals, and it's a good line. They make plays. That's tough. Wish to have an answer. First goal, obviously, we give the puck away, and we're in the wrong spots against those guys. Anyway, we did make the comeback. Had some goal-mouth scrambles. Guys tried. Gotta give them a lot of credit. 

As mentioned, this was a frustrating game because the Canucks were arguably the better team. They outshot the Canadiens 31 to 27 and won 56% of the faceoff. Not only was the head coach frustrated with the lack of scoring, but also the players in the locker room post-game.

"We don't really need consolation at this point, said Dakota Joshua. "We need to find a way to score. That's going to continue to be our focus."

While Vancouver did lose, there were some positives that came out of Tuesday's game. Pettersson was able to cash in on the power play, while the Canucks stayed out of the box as they were forced only to kill one penalty. Vancouver's push in the second half of the game was also encouraging, as they fought all the way until the final whistle. 

In the end, while winning on the shot clock is great, winning on the scoreboard is more important. With 18 games remaining, the Canucks cannot afford to drop more points, even if they are against non-conference opponents. Yes, it was a good effort on Wednesday night, but Vancouver needs to find a way to convert their chances into actual goals. 

Stats and Facts:

- Teddy Blueger plays in his 400th career game
- Kiefer Sherwood becomes the 21st player in franchise history to throw 350 hits
- Filip Hronek logs 27 minutes of ice time for the fourth time this season
- Recording point number 73, Filip Hronek passes Gerald Diduck for the 34th most points by a defenceman in franchise history

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

1:06- MTL: Nick Suzuki (20) from Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský
8:34- MTL: Juraj Slafkovský (12)

2nd Period:

8:59- MTL: Cole Caufield (32) from Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovský

3rd Period:

4:05- VAN: Filip Hronek (4) from Marcus Pettersson
11:08- VAN: VAN: Elias Pettersson (13) from Filip Hronek and Conor Garland (PPG)
19:43- MTL: Mike Matheson (6) (ENG)

Up Next:

The Canucks are back in action on Wednesday when they take on the Calgary Flames. This will be the final of four meetings between these two teams, with the Flames currently holding a 2-1 series lead. Game time is set for 6:00 pm PT from Scotiabank Saddledome. 

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