Demidov has 1st 3-point game in NHL, Canadiens rally past Canucks

VANCOUVER -- Ivan Demidov had a goal and two assists, and the Montreal Canadiens rallied from down two to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 at Rogers Arena on Saturday.

It was the first three-point game in the NHL for the 19-year-old rookie forward, and it included a pair of power-play assists one game after being moved to the top unit.

“He's a great player on the power play,” said Montreal captain Nick Suzuki. “His poise and vision, he's always finding plays, finding seams, he's got a good shot, and he's probably run every single power play he's ever been on, so he's got a lot of reps on those.”

Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens (7-3-0), who went 2-for-3 on the power play to win for the third time in their past four games. Jakub Dobes made 28 saves.

“We are playing good power play and that's what changed the momentum,” said Slafkovsky. “Great way to come back after not having the start we wanted, after maybe not having the legs we wanted. It's good we can come back like this.”

Elias Pettersson had a goal and two assists, Conor Garland had a goal and an assist and Quinn Hughes had two assists for the Canucks (4-5-0), who have lost three in a row. Kevin Lankinen made 20 saves.

“We started pretty good,” Pettersson said. “In the third they got some bounces, but we’ve got be better when we play with the lead.”

Three straight penalties “definitely” swung momentum, Pettersson said.

“They have a lot of good players and if you give them too many opportunities, they might capitalize,” he said. “I like our PK, we're playing good but it’s tough.”

Suzuki started the comeback with a power-play goal at 15:03 of the second period to make it 2-1, converting a backdoor pass from Demidov at the right hashmark into an open net from the bottom of the left circle after Demidov’s fake pulled Lankinen out.

Suzuki has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) during a nine-game point streak, the longest in the NHL this season.

“First look, I saw the goalie, he's kind of like ready for my shot, second I saw [Suzuki] on the back door, just passed it to him,” said Demidov, the No. 5 pick by Montreal in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Slafkovsky tied it 2-2 on another power play 1:39 into the third period. Lane Hutson’s point shot hit Demidov in the slot, and he passed the loose puck to Slafkovsky at the bottom of the right circle for a quick shot past a sprawling Lankinen.

“We know he's that type of player. We know he's going to find guys,” Slafkovsky said. “We know he has great hands, moves really well and we're happy to have him on [the first power play unit] obviously.”

Defenseman Mike Matheson scored on a screen shot from between the top of the face-off circles at 8:19 to put the Canadiens ahead 3-2.

Demidov scored on a deflected short-side one-timer from the right face-off dot at 11:09 to make it 4-2.

“I've known all along that ‘Demi’ can play on the first power play,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “I got to a certain point with Demi where I felt like he had showed me that he's willing to play on the other side of the game, the defensive game, and he's bought in, and he's actually very attentive and trying to keep getting better. So for me, that was all signs led to, 'Okay, it's time.’ And also it allows me to give him a little more ice time.”

Garland deflected a Pettersson pass past a screened Dobes at 16:13 of the third period for the 4-3 final.

Pettersson put the Canucks ahead 1-0 off the rush at 4:42 of the first period, dropping the puck to Filip Hronek at the top of the face-off circles, then cutting to inside the left circle for a return pass that left him with an open net.

Jake DeBrusk made it 2-0 with a deflection of a Hughes point shot on the power play at 6:43 of the second period, less than a minute after Josh Anderson hit the post on a short-handed breakaway.

“We played a good hockey game,” coach Adam Foote said. “We out-chanced them a fair amount five on five. … When there was a subtle mistake, it seemed like they were able to capitalize. Very close one.”

NOTES: Demidov became the first Canadiens rookie in the past 36 years to have a three-point game before age 20. The last to do so was Eric Desjardins on March 18, 1989. … The Canadiens have three third-period comeback wins this season, the most in the NHL. … Canucks forward Lukas Reichel was minus-2 while playing 15:54 mostly on the second line in his debut after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and arriving in Vancouver on Saturday.