MTL@VAN: The importance of special teams

VANCOUVER - Talk about special teams units heading in opposite directions. That's definitely the case when you compare the Canadiens to the Canucks.

Montreal has been one of the League's top teams with respect to the power play since start of the season. Claude Julien's squad ranks fifth with a 40% success rate while up a man, clicking on four of 10 chances to operate with extra ice.
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For their part, the Canucks are still looking for their first power play marker of the year. Travis Green's troops have been stymied on all 15 chances they've been afforded by the opposition.
Following Wednesday's morning skate at Rogers Arena, Julien expressed appreciation for the range of options he can turn to for power play success.
"I like the fact that our power play integrated some different players in there in different spots, and we also had new players coming in to help us out. There are also players that were on the power play last year that may have moved to a different spot that suits them a little bit better," mentioned Julien. "We've got a better balance."

Fifteen Habs have registered their names on the scoresheet after three games. Only forwards Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia, along with defenseman Ben Chiarot, are still looking for their first points of the season.
Forward Paul Byron believes statistics like that are a good indicator that players up and down the lineup can deliver offensively on any given night.
"We know we don't have the high-end talent that other teams have with Matthews, Pettersson, McDavid and Draisaitl, but we're very solid as a team. We have four lines that can play against anyone every shift. That's a huge advantage for us," explained Byron. "Not every team has that kind of depth. We really like our team and we have to keep working to build chemistry."

Montreal and Vancouver also boast very different numbers in the penalty-killing department.
While the Canadiens have surrendered just two goals on 14 occasions while down a man, the Canucks have surrendered seven goals on 21 opportunities.
The Habs also boast two short-handed goals this season, one by Jake Evans and another by Artturi Lehkonen.

Julien insists that having eight different forwards on the roster capable of killing penalties is a huge asset.
"That means that our group is more fresh than usual instead of using the same players all the time. I think there's some confidence building there. Because we've got more players, we're a little bit more aggressive on our penalty kill. That's helped us a lot," revealed Julien. "Having said that, I think we also have to be careful. We played with fire last game taking that many penalties. We have to maybe clean up that part of our game."
Byron is one of those forwards Julien has turned to when his group has found itself in penalty trouble.
In fact, the 31-year-old Ottawa native is the third-most utilized forward under those circumstances.
"The game is generally played at 5-on-5, but special teams are an important aspect of the game as well," explained Byron. "We did good work to add players who can log big minutes when we're short-handed. That gives every guy a chance to be a little bit more aggressive and put more pressure on the opposition. I think it gives us a better chance to kill penalties."
Back in familiar territory
Wednesday night's contest will mark forward Tyler Toffoli's return to Vancouver.
After being acquired by the Canucks on February 17, 2020, he registered 10 points (6 goals, 4 assists) in 10 games.
The 27-year-old Scarborough, ON native also suited up in the playoffs, collecting two goals and four points in seven outings.
Toffoli and the Canucks were ultimately eliminated in the second round, falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in seven games.