The Canucks found themselves playing catch up early as, after a turnover from Brock Boeser, Nick Suzuki pulled off a nifty move on a breakaway to beat a sliding Kevin Lankinen to open the scoring on the very first shift of the game.
1-0 Habs.
Later, Pius Suter his the post.
Shortly after that, Dakota Joshua hit the post.
And immediately after THAT, the Habs scored again. This time, Marcus Pettersson swatted down a flip in the neutral zone that Juraj Slafkovsky pounced on and took down the wing before letting go of a far side wrister that Kevin Lankinen should have had.
2-0 Habs, just like that.
Dakota Joshua kept coming close, but the puck kept staying out.
After going through cancer treatments late in the offseason that got his season started late, it took a while for Joshua to look like his old self. Driving to the net, carrying the puck with poise, and doing the things that made him successful in his first few seasons as a Canuck. Then he went down with a lower-body injury that once again held him out for an extended period of time. It’s been an adversity-filled campaign for Joshua, and he has started once again to look like himself. He’s somebody I constantly find myself rooting for, and I hope he gets a goal here soon. And hey, some people were saying he should’ve had one here.
Marcus Pettersson took the game’s first penalty just under five minutes into the second period, and the Canucks’ red-hot penalty kill was up to the task of killing yet another one off. It helped that Kiefer Sherwood drew an interference call when Montreal still had 32 seconds to go on their power play chance. The Canucks couldn’t capitalize on the minute and a half of power play time they had to work with.
And the Habs scored again.
3-0 Canadiens.
Here’s a great question from my cohost on Canucks Conversation (WHICH AIRS LIVE ON THE CANUCKSARMY YOUTUBE CHANNEL AT 2 PM PACIFIC MONDAY-FRIDAY).
Three goals for the Habs’ top line.
The Canucks entered the third period down by a trio of goals.
The Canucks chipped away at it, as Filip Hronek let go of a point shot after a phenomenal shift from Nils Höglander in all three zones.
3-1.
Then the Canucks were gifted a power play, as Pius Suter fell to the ice after a friendly point shot hit him in the knee. David Savard was wrongly called for slashing based on Suter’s reaction, and the Canucks got a power play chance. It was there that after a dreadful night to this point, Elias Pettersson decided to shoot the puck.
3-2. Canucks within one.
With 1:45 to go, the Canucks pulled Lankinen and sent out an extra attacker.
After some solid offensive zone pressure followed by a Montreal clear, the Canucks insisted on chipping the puck in and trying to force dump ins while under pressure in the neutral zone instead of regrouping and trying to enter the zone with control. As a result, Mike Matheson was able to put the finishing touches on this one.
4-2 Montreal final. See you all tomorrow for a very important game against the Calgary Flames.
What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game?
