Perseverance pays off to extend win streak
Grind and grunt.
It's not a dance, it's an attitude. The Vancouver Canucks needed to adopt one because the Montreal Canadiens came as advertised Monday. They're big and mobile on the back end and their forwards are quick and take away neutral-zone entries. Their goaltender is pretty good, too.
It's why the Canadiens took a dominant 4-1-0 season series lead and 28-16 goal advantage into the latest Rogers Arena clash that was expected to be a litmus test of will for the Canucks to offset their limited chances to display skill.
“Our guys are up for the challenge and we're looking forward to it,” Canucks coach Travis Green said following the morning skate. “Our overall team game has improved.”
It has, but could the Canucks build off two consecutive victories over the Toronto Maple Leafs? Could they get to Carey Price? Could they keep Tyler Toffoli, that one-man wrecking crew who entered the night with eight goals and 11 points against his former club, from sticking in more daggers?
Toffoli wasn't a problem, but scoring was. Then Adam Gaudette went far post and in with 40.5 seconds remaining in regulation time to force overtime. Brock Boeser was then denied on a backhand move at the side of the net before Bo Horvat settled the issue in the shootout with a forehand snap shot for the 2-1 triumph.
Here's what else we learned as the Canucks improved to 12-15-2 to stay in pursuit of a North Division playoff position:
PRICE NOT QUITE RIGHT
In his previous 11 meetings with the Canucks, the Canadiens starter sported a 9-0-2 record, 2.16 goals-against average and .935 save percentage. If Price sees the puck, he's probably going to stop it, so long-range shots Monday were probably going to be moot. It was going to take something special to beat him. Or some help off the post.
“They play quick and have a fast group of forwards and limit your chances off the rush and you really have to earn everything you get down low — grinding and making it more of a grunting game,” said noted Canucks grinder Antoine Roussel.
And he was right. It's why Horvat stepped out from behind the net and tried to put a puck up and over the stopper in the first period. It's why Jake Virtanen then sped down the left wing, and as he cut toward the net, tried to put a backhander over Price's shoulder and under the crossbar and just missed.
It was a night when the Canucks could have used the creativity, release and production of Elias Pettersson. The centre missed his third-consecutive game with an upper-body injury. He has 10 goals, including four on the power play, and he could have been a factor.
It's why Green brought out the blender and had Gaudette on J.T. Miller's wing, had Brandon Sutter between Tanner Pearson and Boeser. It nearly paid off when a Miller wraparound attempt in the second period went across the crease, off the leg of Gaudette and just wide of the far post.
The Canucks pushed the pace early in the third period. Their puck movement in the offensive zone was quicker and they found open ice to test Price with three shots. But he didn't surrender and that was part of the problem. Getting to him meant getting him to cough up rebounds and not continually smother pucks.
A shot through traffic in the third period did glance off his glove and the post, but that's as close as he came to cracking until Gaudette forced overtime.
BIG LITTLE THINGS
Sometimes, it's not a very complicated game. The Canadiens opened scoring in the first period by subscribing to the first theory of running a power play after the Canucks were caught with too many men on the ice. The Canadiens got somebody to the net to cause havoc and take away Thatcher Demko's ability to track pucks.
The league's second star of the week — 3-0-0, 1.00 goals-against average, .969 save percentage and one shutout — didn't see Jeff Petry's point shot that found the net because Corey Perry was left unattended at the top of the crease to set the perfect screen. It was Petry's eighth point (4-4) of the season series.
They've also scored four power play goals in the last four games, a credit to new assistant coach Alex Burrows, who's in charge of the man-advantage units. Demko kept the Canucks in it. In the second period, he stopped Jesperi Kotkaniemi off a slot deflection and didn't flinch when Quinn Hughes blew a tire on a zone exit and Joel Armia was stymied on a breakaway.
PP SHOTS IN DARK
Opportunity came knocking late in the first period when the Canucks had a 5-on-3 power play thanks to Perry tripping Alex Edler at the Canadiens blue-line and Paul Byron running Demko over on a short-handed break.
However, in 1:24 of a two-man advantage and a remainder of the second minor, the Canucks managed just two shots — Pearson on PP1 stepping out from behind the net and a Virtanen snap effort from 39 feet. The Canucks got another power play chance halfway through the third period with Nick Suzuki off for tripping and Boeser put a hot shot off Price's blocker.