Slafkovsky has 3 points, Canadiens hold off Canucks 

VANCOUVER -- Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and two assists for the Montreal Canadiens in a 4-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.

Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield each had a goal and assist, and Sam Montembeault made 29 saves for the Canadiens (31-27-6), who are 6-1-1 in their past eight games.

Montreal’s top line has combined for 15 goals in that stretch. Caufield has nine points (six goals, three assists), Suzuki has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists), and Slafkovsky has eight points (four goals, four assists).

“We're just helping each other, reading off each other,” Slafkovsky said. “I'm trying to play physical, other guys can come and they scoop the puck and I go to the net, [Suzuki] and Cole are working on the outside, and then we try to get to the net, shoot a lot of pucks. …. I feel like the chemistry, the way we read of each other, that's why we are successful.”

Filip Hronek had a goal and assist in the third period, and Kevin Lankinen made 23 saves for the Canucks (29-24-11), who have lost two in a row and six of their past nine games.

“We didn't have an answer for their top line,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “It's a good line. They make plays. It's tough. We should have an answer. … We did make a comeback, had some goal-mouth scrambles. Guys tried. I’ve got to give them credit.”

Suzuki put Montreal ahead 1-0 on a breakaway 1:06 into the first period. He took a lead pass from Caufield and held off defenseman Marcus Pettersson before deking around Lankinen and tucking in a backhand.

“I was just trying to just get ahead of the defenseman and cut in on my forehand and it was just kind of a last-minute decision to go back the other way,” Suzuki said.

Slafkovsky made it 2-0 on a solo rush down the left wing at 8:34, scoring glove side with a wrist shot from outside the left face-off dot.

“I saw it open, so I tried my luck and it went in,” Slafkovsky said.

Montembault made his best save on a rebound in tight at 16:05 of the first period, getting across with his left pad to rob Dakota Joshua with a save that required replay to show the puck did not fully cross the goal line.

“I wasn't sure, especially going to the TV timeout,” Montembault said. “I saw the refs going on the bench, taking the iPad out, so I was like, 'oh, please no.' I didn't see the replay, but I was happy they didn't call it a goal.”

Caufield pushed it to 3-0 at 8:59 of the second period, taking a backdoor pass from Suzuki on a 2-on-1 and scoring with a snap shot below the right circle. The play was set up by a chip pass from Slafkovsky in the neutral zone.

“We've been gelling a lot better,” Suzuki said. “All of us are bringing our A game.”

It was only Slafkovsky’s second three-point game of the season. The 20-year-old forward, who has 38 points (12 goals, 26 assists) in 61 games, is not satisfied with his season overall.

“Well, if I play like this all season, I would be, but I'm not,” he said. “It’s still 10 games, maybe not even. Not enough.”

Hronek pulled Vancouver to within 3-1 with a point shot through traffic that went in off the post high on the blocker side at 4:05 of the third period.

Elias Pettersson cut it to 3-2 with a power-play goal at 11:08, beating a screened Montembeault with a wrist shot from the high slot.

“We started solid, but they went up with a 3-0 lead and it’s a big hill to climb,” Pettersson said. “I like our effort to get back and we were close to tying it. But we can’t put ourselves in a position like that. It’s hard to win games that way.”

Mike Matheson scored an empty-net goal for the 4-2 final with 17 seconds left.

Vancouver is the only team in the NHL without a win when trailing after two periods this season (0-19-4).

“We don't really need consolation at this point. We need to find a way to score. And that's going to continue to be our focus,” Joshua said. “There's belief. And every night we think we're going to go out there and find a way. And that's what makes it frustrating when we don’t.”

NOTES: Montreal forward Patrik Laine missed his second straight game with the flu, but he skated in the morning and could return in the second half of a back-to-back at the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday. … Canucks top defenseman Quinn Hughes missed his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury, but he skated with teammates in a noncontact jersey on Tuesday for the first time, and Tocchet said, “There’s a good chance he’ll be in,” for the second half of back-to-back at the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.