The Vancouver Canucks fell 4-3 to the Montréal Canadiens
The Vancouver Canucks kicked off their three-game home-stand with a 4-3 loss to the Montréal Canadiens. Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk and Conor Garland scored while Kevin Lankinen stopped 20 of 24 shots in the loss. With the defeat, the Canucks drop to 4-5-0 on the season and 1-2-0 at home.
Vancouver's penalty kill was the story as Montréal scored twice with the man advantage. The two power play goals against swung the momentum in the Canadiens' favour, as they were part of a four-straight goal run for Montréal. In the end, it was back-door plays that were the Canucks' Achilles' heel, as both power play goals were scored feet from the crease.
"Well, on the second one tonight, we got be in the top," said Head Coach Adam Foote when asked about the penalty kill. "So one force, one cuts the top off. They got a top. They took a wrister, hit their guy in the chest, and he bought the back door. I mean, the next one, we had another blocked shot. That's nothing to do with that structure on those except our forward should to cut the top off. But, I mean, we have a good penalty kill. We're not going to change how we kill because of two bounces, that's for sure."
As mentioned, the power play sparked the Canadiens, who scored three straight in the third and four overall. The change in momentum was clear as Vancouver was in control for the first half of the game. While the Canucks scored a late goal, they couldn't find the equalizer despite plenty of pressure in the offensive zone.
Looking at some positives, Saturday was easily Pettersson's best game of the season. EP40 recorded a goal and an assist while also throwing a massive hit on Nick Suzuki. Despite the strong performance, Pettersson was not happy post-game as Vancouver came up just short on the scoreboard.
"I mean, it's hard to be proud when you stand here after losing the game," said Pettersson post-game when asked about the push late to tie the game. "I mean, the efforts there, but we just gotta tighten up some spaces."
Saturday was also the first game for forward Lukas Reichel. The 23-year-old played 15:54 in his Canucks debut despite arriving in Vancouver just a few hours before game time. Post-game, Reichel spoke to the media for the first time since joining the organization.
"It was fun," said Reichel. "It was definitely not my best game. I still got more to give, but I felt good, especially in the first two periods. And just try to get my legs going and gain some confidence and try to keep it simple. And the boys helped me a lot."
While the final score was not ideal, there are some positives to take away from this game. The Canucks had a strong first two periods, scored on the power play and received standout performances from some of their top players. With three games in four nights, Vancouver will need similar performances if they want to complete the current homestand with a successful record.
Stats and Facts:
- Elias Pettersson records his 38th career three-point night
- Conor Garland is the 34th player in NHL history to be drafted in the fifth round and record 300 points
- Quinn Hughes records his 107th multi-point game
- Jake DeBrusk scores his first home goal of the season
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
4:42- VAN: Elias Pettersson (2) from Filip Hronek and Conor Garland
2nd Period:
6:43- VAN: Jake DeBrusk (2) from Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson (PPG)
15:03- MTL: Nick Suzuki (2) from Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovský (PPG)
3rd Period:
1:50- MTL: Juraj Slafkovský (4) from Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson (PPG)
8:19- MTL: Mike Matheson (3) from Alexandre Carrier and Zack Bolduc
11:08- MTL: Ivan Demidov (2) from Alexandre Carrier and Oliver Kapanen
16:13- VAN: Conor Garland (3) from Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes
Up Next:
The Canucks are right back in action on Sunday when they face the Edmonton Oilers. The two have already played once this season, with Edmonton picking up a 3-1 victory. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT from Rogers Arena and can be viewed on Sportsnet.
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