Jan 6, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller (9) checks Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) during the first period at the Bell Centre. | Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
First period
- Kaiden Guhle welcomes Jonathan Lekkerimaki to the NHL with a thunderous centre-ice hit that left the debutant flying and Guhle standing perfectly still.
- That got a loud reaction , but not as loud as the one moments later for Cole Caufield’s 22nd goal of the season.
Cole Caufield buries the feed from Juraj Slafkovsky and it’s 1-0 Habs!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) January 6, 2025 at 8:49 PM
- Juraj Slafkovský and Nick Suzuki get the assists.
- The game isn’t even 10 minutes old and Guhle has thrown three massive hits.
- Struble joins in the fun with his second big hit.
- the Habs fans just gave Eric Furlatt a nice ovation for his 1,500th game. Surely that means no penalties against the Canadiens now.
- Shots are 2-1, but this is all Montreal right now.
- And J.T. Miller scores.
- If that goal gets Montreal to attempt some more shots, perhaps it’s not a bad thing.
- The first power play does go to Montreal. Furlatt receives more applause.
- The top unit is forced to play hot potato with pressure from the Canucks, but it results in a great five-way passing play that was just missed at the side of the net by Kirby Dach.
- Lane Hutson saw lanes opening up in front of him, and carried the puck right to the net for a chance. He must have inspired by brother Cole’s goal last night at the World Juniors.
- Montreal was the better team in the first, but that doesn’t show up on the scoreboard, so they’ll need to generate more offence in the second period.
Second period
- Alex Newhook and Derek Forbort collide at centre ice, and the Canucks defenceman needs significant help getting off the ice.
- And J.T. Miller scores again.
- The defence has become a little sloppy here.
- Lekkerimaki makes a proper introduction by making it 3-1 on the next shot.
- Montembeault has stopped three of the six shots he’s faced.
- There’s a chance for Montreal to get one of those goals back after Noah Juulsen interfered with Suzuki on a breakout.
- Emil Heineman cuts the power play shot by running a pick at the blue line. Suddenly the Canadiens don’t look very good at all.
- Newhook it using his speed well tonight, but his hands aren’t able to finish his plays.
- Montreal ramps up to a competitive level for a couple of minutes, and Guhle turns it into a goal. It’s a 3-2 games.
- Just giving everyone a reminder they could take control of this game if they really wanted to.
- Alexandre Carrier’s assist announcement gets a nice response from the crowd, and it’s nice to hear his play is being appreciated.
- Good work from Slafkovský and Caufield behind the goal creates a shot fro Suzuki from 12 feet, but Lankinen makes the save.
- A third goal seems inevitable. Montreal is flying.
- And the momentum is halted by an uncharacteristic offensive-zone tripping call on Jake Evans.
- Montembeault makes an important save on Conor Garland on the power play. The game stays at 3-2 as the horn sounds.
Third period
- Evans has the puck stripped and sees … Tyler Myers go the other way on a breakaway. The large defenceman’s shot goes off the post. Two consecutive un-Evans-like shifts
- The top fivesome draws a slashing call. It would be nice to convert this power play.
- Just like that. Dach knocks in the rebound from the top of the crease. 3-3.
Lane Hutson puts it on goal, Kirby Dach sweeps in the rebound
3-3 game in Montreal!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) January 6, 2025 at 10:40 PM
- You can’t sing “Olé!” at 3-3. Most of the fans are trying to drown that out with a “Go Habs Go!” chant.
- Hutson comes into the zone to keep the play alive. As he tries to send the puck across to Christian Dvorak, Quinn Hughes deflects it into his own net.
Lane Hutson calls bank and makes it 4-3!
Quinn Hughes, welcome to the Bone Zone
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) January 6, 2025 at 10:47 PM
- Can you sing “Olé!” after Hutson first goal at the Bell Centre that makes it 4-3? Sure you can!
- Myers squeezes Caufield along the end boards as he tries to get to a loose puck. Caufield retaliates by knocking the stick out of Myers’s hands, and will sit for it.
- No more claps for you, Furlatt.
- A big penalty kill coming up.
- Vancouver scores 11 seconds into the power play.
- If Caufield gets another shift, expect it to be a fiery one.
- He did play his next shift, and it was a composed one with a couple of passes.
- Hutson should have just put the Canadiens ahead with a great pass, but Gallagher couldn’t redirect the puck in.
- The down-low ref was perfectly fine to let about four infractions go versus Hutson. The ref at centre ice finally put his arm up.
- A pass splits the two players at the blue line, so a power-play goal will have to wait until overtime.
- A good comeback effort, able to climb out of holes they dug for themselves to grab a point.
Overtime
- Hutson sets up Dach at the post. Another miss.
- Nick Suzuki gets the puck in the slot, and fires it past Lankinen. The Canucks desperately search for a reason to have it disallowed, but it stands.
Nick Suzuki rips it by Kevin Lankinen for the OT winner
(Pending a review)
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) January 6, 2025 at 11:14 PM
- … I think Suzuki asked Furlatt to be in his little post-win huddle.
- The Canadiens are in a wild-card spot, and rising quickly.
- Now to a much-deserved three-day break.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) Including into that final shot
2) He’s going to have a monstrous second half
1) I declare three days of gloating
