'Hockey sense' a big part of Toffoli's success

BROSSARD - Tyler Toffoli's numbers against the Canucks speak for themselves.

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The 28-year-old right-winger has registered 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists) in seven games versus his former team this season, and was held off the scoresheet just once along the way.
Everybody remembers his hat trick on January 20 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and how he followed that up with another three-point effort (2 goals, 1 assist) the following night.

It was a sign of things to come from the Scarborough, ON native, who leads the Canadiens with 18 goals and 27 points in 29 games, seven markers clear of fellow forwards Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher, and defenseman Jeff Petry.
Why is the League's third-ranked goalscorer so proficient at lighting the lamp? Petry has a theory.
"He's got very good hands. I played against him quite a bit when I was in the West. In our little mini-camp that we had, you noticed his hands and he just pushes the puck out so well. He also has the ability to pull it in tight and step around you. As a defender, you just have to be on your toes," explained Petry, who is enjoying a memorable campaign as well. "He's very deceptive. That makes it difficult for guys to defend. He has the ability to put the puck in the net."

Interestingly enough, the one-time Stanley Cup champion with the Los Angeles Kings has more points against the Canucks than any other team over the course of his career, amassing 34 points (21 goals, 13 assists) in 35 games, and compiling an equally impressive plus-25 differential too.
Like Petry, interim head coach Dominique Ducharme has been impressed by Toffoli's skill set every step of the way.
He believes the former second-round selection has a long list of valuable assets.
"Hockey sense. He reads the play so well. He's also got some of the strongest hands. He doesn't overhandle the puck. When he has it on his stick, it sticks to it. You combine that with a good shot," praised Ducharme. "Then, there's his vision. He puts himself in situations to receive the puck, to have good timing, and to come in and find the open space. He scores goals in different ways and steals pucks because he's got a good stick. When you score that many goals, you cannot be scoring just one way. That's what he does. He's finding ways because he's smart."

Case and point was his game-tying tally on Wednesday night at Bell MTS Place when he evaded Jets defenders and found himself in prime position to receive a perfect feed from Corey Perry.
It was a prime example of Toffoli using his tremendous hockey IQ to his advantage.
"That's always kind of been one of my strengths, finding that open space and being able to find a quiet area and get open and create opportunities," said Toffoli, who is just two goals shy of his fifth 20-goal season. "Perry made a great play and we were fortunate to get a point out of that game."

At the morning skate, the nine-year veteran was featured on a line with Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia, and he's hopeful the combination will click versus a Canucks squad riding a three-game winning streak.
Goaltender Thatcher Demko, meanwhile, has a 7-1-0 record in March, with his lone defeat coming at the hands of the Canadiens nine days ago, so he's been hot between the pipes.
"We just have to follow the system that we've implemented and just play the right way and turn pucks over. Especially with the guys I'm playing with tonight, we all have the skills to make plays and be confident with the puck," mentioned Toffoli. "If we do those things and just play the right way, we're going to get our chances and we're going to play well."
Milestone night
Goaltender Jake Allen will make his 11th start of the season for Montreal, and his first since March 11 in Calgary.
It will mark the 300th game of Allen's NHL career, which began with the St. Louis Blues.
The 30-year-old Fredericton, NB native is winless in his last five starts, but still boasts a 4-3-3 record, coupled with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.

Allen won both of his outings against the Canucks this season, most recently turning aside 36 of 39 shots in a 5-3 victory on February 2 at the Bell Centre.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. You can watch the game on TSN2, Sportsnet Pacific and RDS, and listen to all the action on TSN Radio 690 and 98,5 fm.