Tyler Toffoli continues scoring spree as Habs rout Canucks

Tyler Toffoli had his second multipoint game in two nights, collecting two goals and an assist to lead the Montreal Canadiens past the host Vancouver Canucks 7-3 on Thursday.

Toffoli became the third player in NHL history to score each of his first five regular-season goals for a new franchise against one of his former teams. He logged his fourth career hat trick Wednesday in a 6-5 shootout loss to the Canucks.

Joel Armia added two goals and two assists for the Canadiens, while Josh Anderson, Jake Evans and Ben Chiarot each had a single goal. Canadiens goalie Jake Allen recorded 14 saves in the win.

Bo Horvat scored twice for the Canucks, Brandon Sutter had a goal and Tyler Myers notched two assists. Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko stopped 35 shots.

Toffoli kicked off the Canadiens’ scoring at the 1:54 mark of the first period. He banged in the puck on a goalmouth scramble, but Horvat got the tying goal just 1:26 later, tipping in a Myers shot from the boards.

The Canadiens, who allowed the Canucks to go 3-for-6 on the power play Wednesday, started getting into penalty trouble again Thursday. With Jonathan Drouin in the box for hooking, Canucks defender Nate Schmidt fumbled the puck in Vancouver’s defensive zone. Toffoli dished it up to Armia, who made no mistake on Demko for a short-handed goal.

Horvat got the Canucks back up to a 2-2 tie at the 13:47 mark on a power play.

The Canadiens took over in the second, scoring four consecutive goals, including three in 94 seconds. Toffoli got his second of the night just 1:13 in on another short-handed opportunity when Canucks young gun Elias Pettersson coughed up the puck.

At 14:56, Anderson knocked a flying puck into the net to start the flurry of Canadiens goals. Evans scored his goal nine seconds later, and Armia notched his second of the night at 16:30.

The Canucks started the third period a little stronger. Sutter cut the deficit to 6-3 with a sharp backhander past Allen at 4:56.

The Canadiens finished the game with a five-minute power play after Myers delivered an ugly elbow to Armia’s chin along the sideboards. On the man advantage, Chiarot fired a shot from the point past Demko at 18:55.

The Canucks and Canadiens wrap up their three-game series Saturday in Vancouver.

–Field Level Media