Game 10: Montreal Canadiens @ Vancouver Canucks
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT
In Canada: CBC, OMNI-2 (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the United States: NHL Network
Streaming: Sportsnet+, CBC Gem
In past years, the Montreal Canadiens would have been happy to leave Alberta with two points to their name.
Not this year.
After a subdued performance in Calgary where the Habs relied on a few flashes of sublime skill to secure the victory, Montreal rebounded with one of their best games of the season. From the opening puck drop, they “swarmed” the two-time defending Stanley Cup Finalist Edmonton Oilers, who were described as “hanging on for dear life” in a game where there was “no debate over which was the better team.” When Alex Newhook scored his second of the night early in the third period to put the Canadiens up 5-3, it looked like Montreal was headed for back-to-back victories.
Then Garrett Rank and Chris Schlenker metaphorically took the sticks out of their hands.
There’s plenty more that needs to be said about that performance and how it reflects on the preferred modus operandi of the NHL, but that’s not for the Canadiens.
The team is on to Vancouver, and as Mark Spector wrote: “these refs aren’t coming on the road with you.“
Tale of the Tape
Canadiens
Statistics
Canucks
6-3-0
Record
4-4-0
49.0% (20th)
Expected-goal share
43.1% (30th)
3.56 (6th)
Goals per game
2.63 (T-25th)
3.00 (T-14th)
Goals against per game
3.00 (T-14th)
18.5% (T-22nd)
PP%
14.3% (27th)
75.9% (18th)
PK%
77.4% (T-15th)
2-0-0
Head-to-Head Record (24-25)
0-1-1
Cole Caufield (7)
Most goals
Kiefer Sherwood (4)
Nick Suzuki (11)
Most assists
Conor Garland (5)
Nick Suzuki (12)
Most points
Conor Garland (7)
Between 2013 and 2018, the Vancouver Canucks drafted in the top 10 five times. A decade or so later, three of those players still remain with the team. Quinn Hughes is the face of the franchise, Brock Boeser is a veteran cornerstone, and Elias Pettersson (the forward) is an enigma. These three serve as the faces of a lost decade. Setting aside the Covid bubble tournament, the Canucks have made the post-season once since 2014-15. That season, 2023-24, was supposed to be a turning point. Instead, it’s looking more and more like an anomaly. Fifty wins and a division title gave way to 38 (and fifth place) the following year, and most pundits have Vancouver on the outside looking in for 2025-26.
Can the Canucks turn a decade of disappointment into something more? Management hopes so, given that they’re locked into much of the current roster for the foreseeable future. Boeser, Pettersson, Conor Garland, and Filip Hronek are all signed until 2032. Marcus Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk until 2031. Kevin Lankinen until 2030. Vancouver has also staked its future on homegrown youth such as Nils Höglander, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Tom Willander, and Elias Pettersson (the defenceman). Unfortunately, the former two are currently on injured reserve, joining Filip Chytil, who was acquired in the J.T. Miller trade last season. To these main components, general manager Patrik Allvin has added Evander Kane and a sprinkling of journeymen and former prospects—the likes of Drew O’Connor, Teddy Blueger, Kiefer Sherwood, Nils Aman, Pierre-Joseph Olivier, and as of yesterday, Lukas Reichel.
But although most of their core is locked in until 2030 and their youth are under team control until then, the window is actually poised to slam shut in 2027. That is when Hughes, the Canucks’ mercurial talisman, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent.
It’s difficult to describe how much Vancouver relies on the 26-year-old Orlando, Florida native. Last season, the team enjoyed a +8 goal differential with Hughes on the ice at five-on-five, and a -19 without him. Their expected goal share plummeted from 54.2% with him to 46.9% without. The clear strategy is to weather the storm and attack when Hughes is on the bench—but that in itself is no easy feat: the Canucks have played 485 minutes of hockey so far this season. Hughes has been on the ice for 44% (213:13) of them.
In terms of roster decisions, Vancouver has alternated between Demko and Lankinen over the last six starts, with this game marking Lankinen’s turn. Meanwhile, Montreal might be in a position to commence a similar rotation with Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobeš, with Martin St-Louis probably (?) leaning towards the lanky Czech rookie between the pipes. Montreal will likely not make any other changes, which means a second consecutive game for Kirby Dach at the expense of Joshua Roy.
Montreal’s visit to the Pacific marks the first game of a three-game homestead for the Canucks, who are looking to rebound after dropping two straight on the road. The Canadiens, meanwhile, will hope to replicate most of what they achieved in Alberta — but with better end results. They should have no shortage of energy. Now they just have to channel it appropriately.
Editor’s note: Since the Toronto Maple Leafs have moved their game to 5:00 PM EST in order to not conflict with game 2 of the World Series, the broadcasting arrangements for this game have changed. The article has been edited accordingly.
