The Habs got off to a dismal start, giving up the first goal of the game 1:36 in and not registering their first shot on net until nearly five minutes was played. The Canucks were leading 7-2 in shots-on-net by the ten-minute mark of the first period, and the Canadiens had only made three attempts on net.
The Habs powerplay got a chance to turn the tide, but couldn’t break through even though they controlled the puck in the Canucks’ zone for up to a minute. Desperate to survive the disadvantage, the Canucks came close to taking a couple of penalties, but referee Tim Peel was silent on the whistle.
The powerplay did give the Habs some life, but the change in momentum was short-lived as Brendan Gallagher took an accidental four minute- high-sticking penalty as a result of trying to swipe the puck out of the air and hitting Daniel Sedin square in the face instead. Henrik Sedin would avenge his brother, setting up a powerplay goal to put the Canucks up 2-0.
This is only the fifth time this season the Habs have trailed after one period. They’ve only come back once to win (1-2-1).
Scoring Summary
| 1ST PERIOD | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01:26 | VAN | Adam Cracknell (3) Backhand shot – ASST: Derek Dorsett (3), Matt Bartkowski (4) | 1 – 0 VAN | |
| 17:54 | VAN | PPG – Jared McCann (6) Wrist shot – ASST: Henrik Sedin (9), Radim Vrbata (5) | 2 – 0 VAN | |
Penalty Summary
| 1ST PERIOD | ||
|---|---|---|
| 05:08 | MTL | P.K. Subban Holding – 2 min against Henrik Sedin |
| 10:05 | VAN | Yannick Weber Tripping – 2 min against Dale Weise |
| 15:53 | MTL | Brendan Gallagher Hi stick – double minor – 4 min against Daniel Sedin |
| 18:19 | VAN | Matt Bartkowski Slashing – 2 min against Max Pacioretty |
Shots
| PERIOD | VAN | MTL |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 11 | 9 |
| Total | 11 | 9 |
Team Stats
| CATEGORY | VAN | MTL |
|---|---|---|
| Power Plays | 1/3 | 0/2 |
| Hits | 4 | 9 |
| Faceoff Wins | 8 | 10 |
| Giveaways | 6 | 6 |
| Takeaways | 1 | 3 |
| Blocked Shots | 2 | 4 |
| Penalty Minutes | 4 | 6 |
