By AakashSports_
The Vancouver Canucks’ early-season slide continued Saturday night as they blew a 2–0 lead and fell 4–3 to the Montréal Canadiens at Rogers Arena. It marked their third straight loss, and despite a standout performance from Elias Pettersson, discipline and defensive lapses once again cost them valuable points.
Game Summary
Vancouver looked in full control early. Pettersson opened the scoring midway through the first period with a perfectly placed wrist shot, assisted by Filip Hronek and Conor Garland. The Canucks doubled their lead in the second when Jake DeBrusk redirected a Quinn Hughes point shot on the power play, with Pettersson picking up his second point of the night.
But the Canadiens pushed back before the second period ended. Nick Suzuki struck on the power play to make it 2–1, setting the stage for a Montréal surge in the third. Juraj Slafkovský tied the game early, Mike Matheson gave the visitors their first lead, and Ivan Demidov extended it to 4–2. Conor Garland scored late to cut the deficit, but Vancouver couldn’t find the equalizer despite a furious final push.
Bright Spots
- Elias Pettersson: 1 goal, 2 assists — dynamic and engaged throughout.
- Power Play: Connected once and looked fairly okay with some crisp puck movement.
- Offensive Zone Time: Outshot Montréal 31–24 and controlled stretches of play.
What Went Wrong
- Penalty Trouble: Montréal scored twice on the power play, both at key turning points.
- Defensive Breakdowns: Costly lapses and poor coverage erased a strong start.
- Goaltending & Structure: 20 saves on 24 shots (.833 SV%) — too many quality looks allowed.
What’s Next
With their third consecutive loss, the Canucks will look to regroup quickly as they host the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow night at Rogers Arena. It’s an early test of resilience — and a chance to prove they can protect a lead when it matters most.
