Toffoli scores twice, Canadiens bounce back against Canucks

VANCOUVER -- Tyler Toffoli scored two goals after a hat trick the previous night, and the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Vancouver Canucks 7-3 at Rogers Arena on Thursday.

Joel Armia scored two goals and had two assists before leaving late in the third period with a concussion, and Jake Allen made 14 saves in his second start for the Canadiens (3-0-2), who lost 6-5 in the shootout to the Canucks on Wednesday.
"[Toffoli] is playing really well right now," said forward Nick Suzuki, who had an assist and has a point in all five games this season (one goal, four assists). "He's getting a ton of chances and burying most of them. It's a bit of a flashback to last night, but it's good to get a win tonight."
Bo Horvat scored two goals for the second straight game, and Thatcher Demko made 35 saves for the Canucks (2-4-0), who have lost four of the past five games.
"We've got to figure it out within our dressing room and buy in," Horvat said. "It's a long year, we have another game against these guys, and we're going to try to win this miniseries."

The Canadiens and Canucks will finish their three-game set in Vancouver on Saturday.
Toffoli gave Montreal a 1-0 lead when he scored on a rebound 1:54 into the first period. He set up Armia's shorthanded breakaway to put the Canadiens ahead 2-1 at 5:27, then scored shorthanded 1:13 into the second period for a 3-2 lead.
Montreal leads the NHL with four shorthanded goals.
"We're just making good reads," Toffoli said of the penalty kill.
Toffoli is the first player in NHL history to score his first five goals with his new team against his most recent former team. He played 10 regular-season games and seven Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Canucks after being acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 17, 2020.
"Whenever anybody's scoring, everyone's so excited for whoever that is," said Toffoli, who signed a four-year contract with the Canadiens on Oct. 12. "It keeps the emotions high."

Canucks coach Travis Green said they "gift wrapped probably four to five goals" to the Canadiens, but he didn't put the blame on an inexperienced defenseman group. After losing Alexander Edler (upper body) and Travis Hamonic (undisclosed) to injury in the game Wednesday, Vancouver played with three defensemen (Olli Juolevi, Jalen Chatfield and Brogan Rafferty) who had a combined seven games of NHL experience.
"We look a little bit immature in ways at times," Green said. "It could be that when you have a little bit of success, you come back and forget how hard it is to win."
Horvat tied the game 1-1 at 3:20 of the first with a deflection at the side to the net. After Armia put Montreal back in front with his first of the night, Horvat tied it 2-2 with a one-timer on the power play at 7:13.

Toffoli tied Horvat and Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny for the NHL lead with his fifth goal after an Elias Pettersson giveaway at the blue line early in the second period before Josh Anderson (14:56), Jake Evans (15:05) and Armia (16:30) scored three goals in 94 seconds to make it 6-2.
Brandon Sutter scored at 4:56 of the third period to make it 6-3.
Ben Chiarot scored on the power play with 1:05 left for the 7-3 final.
Armia left the game with 2:28 remaining after a high hit from Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers, who received a match penalty.
"It's a loss for us," Canadiens coach Claude Julien said. "I didn't like the hit from Myers. [Armia] didn't see it coming."
NOTES: Canadiens forward Paul Byron left the game at 11:39 of the third period after he was hit in the foot by a slap shot by Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber. Julien said he is day to day. … Montreal's three goals in 94 seconds were its fastest three goals since scoring three in 75 seconds Nov. 19, 2018, in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals. … Chatfield left the game with an upper-body injury at 13:53 of the first period. … Pettersson, who scored 132 points (55 goals, 77 assists) in 139 games his first two NHL seasons, has been held without a point in five straight games and has one assist in six games this season.