The Vancouver Canucks suffered a 6-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at Centre Bell Arena on Monday. The Canucks dropped to 16-24-5, currently languishing at the bottom of the Pacific Division.
The Canucks led early and tied it 3-3 in the second period but collapsed in the third with three unanswered goals just 29 seconds in. Defensive breakdowns, poor zone coverage, and being outshot 43-21 were some of the shortcomings for the hosts in the matchup. Nikita Tolopilo made 35 saves but allowed six goals.
Below are the least impressive Vancouver Canucks players from the loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
3 least impressive Vancouver Canucks players from loss to Montreal Canadiens
#3 Brock Boeser
Boeser was expected to provide veteran leadership and scoring punch in the absence of other stars. However, he was largely invisible.
He finished with zero points, a -2 rating, and had only three shots on goal in over 21 minutes of ice time. For a top-six winger, failing to register a point while the team is giving up six goals highlighted a lack of defensive tracking and offensive execution.
#2 Tom Willander
The rookie defenseman had a difficult night in Montreal. Paired with veteran Filip Hronek to provide stability, Willander was instead on the ice for several key breakdowns.
He finished the game with a -2 rating and was frequently caught out of position during the Canadiens’ second and third-period surges. His inability to clear the front of the net contributed to Alexandre Carrier’s quick-fire goals in the second period.
#1 David Kampf
Kampf had a role to provide defensive reliability and faceoff wins, but he struggled in both areas during the matchup.
He finished with a -2 rating and was part of the depth unit that allowed Montreal’s middle six to take over the game in the third period. While he was decent in the circle, his line was consistently pinned in the defensive zone, offering no relief for the young Tolopilo.
The Vancouver Canucks travel to Canadian Tire Centre to face the Ottawa Senators next on Tuesday. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Edited by Abhishek Dilta
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