VAN@MTL: Game Recap

MONTREAL - The Canadiens got back on the winning track on Monday night with an impressive 6-2 victory over the Canucks at the Bell Centre.

Carey Price was back in goal after being given a break over the weekend.
It was his sixth start of the season, and his third outing against Vancouver so far this year.

Defenseman Victor Mete also made his season debut, replacing Brett Kulak in the lineup.
It was the 22-year-old Woodbridge, ON native's first appearance since August 21, 2020 when the Canadiens were eliminated from the playoffs by the Philadelphia Flyers in the Toronto bubble.

Just 60 seconds elapsed in the first period when Nick Suzuki scored his third goal of the season to put Montreal up 1-0.
The 21-year-old centerman was the recipient of a perfect feed from right-winger Josh Anderson from behind the net, which he blasted by Canucks starter Braden Holtby.

Jonathan Drouin collected the secondary assist on the play. It was his team-leading eighth assist of the year.
Just over five minutes later, it was Artturi Lehkonen's turn to get on the scoresheet in his 300th career NHL game.
While helping to kill a penalty against Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Lehkonen caused Canucks forward Adam Gaudette to cough up the puck in the offensive zone before beating Holtby five-hole on a breakaway.

It was his second goal of the season - and his second short-handed tally as well.
The Habs lead the NHL with six short-handed goals thus far this year.
Gaudette made up for his mistake, though, cutting Montreal's lead in half with an unassisted goal of his own at the 8:36 mark of the frame.

Defenseman Jeff Petry restored the Canadiens' two-goal advantage with just over three minutes left before the break, beating Holtby with a wrist shot upstairs from the slot.
Petry had all the time in the world to convert a pass from Paul Byron, and Lehkonen collected an assist as well.

That's the way things stood after 20 minutes. Vancouver outshot Montreal 11-10.
Brendan Gallagher made it 4-1 for the Canadiens at the 7:15 mark of the second period, benefitting from a superb effort by Suzuki in the neutral zone to cause another key turnover.
The Habs' alternate captain grabbed the loose puck, broke in all alone on Holtby, and completed a beautiful backhand maneuver for his fourth goal of the season.

Eighty-five seconds later, Petry added his second goal of the night by burying a sweet pass from Corey Perry.
It was the 800th point of Perry's NHL career. Kotkaniemi also collected an assist on the tally.

The Canadiens weren't done yet, though. Tyler Toffoli added a power play goal with 2:49 left before the intermission.
Toffoli's team-leading seventh marker of the year was assisted by captain Shea Weber and Petry.

Interestingly enough, six of Toffoli's goals this season have come against his former team.
The Habs took that impressive 6-1 lead into the locker room and were up 25-19 in the shots department, too.
Canucks forward Jay Beagle managed to solve Price with 8:11 left in regulation, but that's all the offense Vancouver could muster.
With his three-point performance (2 goals, 1 assist), Petry now leads the Canadiens in scoring with 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) on the year.
Price, meanwhile, made 27 saves to register his fourth win of the season.

The Canadiens will be back in action on Tuesday night with another matchup against the Canucks at the Bell Centre.
It will be the 1,000th game of Weber's NHL career.