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Instant Reaction: Canucks keep it close through 40 minutes in 6-3 loss to Canadiens
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Photo credit: © David Kirouac-Imagn Images
David Quadrelli
Jan 12, 2026, 22:10 EST
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Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at CanucksArmy where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Vancouver Canucks game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

Starting Lineup

First Period

The Canucks started somewhat on time for this game, but the Canadiens got some early bounces that went in their favour. Of course, there was also the Canucks’ lackadaisical defensive coverage, and Nikita Tolopilo needed to be sharp early on. His first great save of the night came after Evander Kane did a lazy fly by on Ivan Demidov, who dangled his way into the slot and let go of a shot that Tolopilo got most of. The puck trickled towards the goal line, but Tolopilo reacted in a hurry and got his paddle down to deny the Habs’ second chance opportunity.
The Canucks were slightly under siege early, but it was they who scored the game’s opening goal. With 8:07 left in the first period, and after a win along the wall from Linus Karlsson, Elias Pettersson pulled off a sneaky deke to trick Jakub Dobes before sliding the puck through the Montreal netminder’s wickets.
1-0 Canucks. 
The Canucks took the game’s first penalty when Brock Boeser got his stick in on Philip Danault’s hands, giving the home side the first power play of the night. It didn’t take long for Montreal’s power play to convert. Just as the broadcast was talking about Noah Dobson replacing Lane Hutson on PP1, Dobson let go of a shot that had eyes and got past a screened Tolopilo:
1-1. 
Some takeaways from the first:
-I’m okay with the idea of a one-game reset for Zeev Buium, and I know not everyone agrees with that take. I get it. But there’s no denying Buium has had some growing pains, and the Canucks play 16 games in 30 days this month. A night off is okay. Multiple games off while we watch PO Joseph and Marcus Pettersson man the left side of the blueline? That, I will take issue with.
-Nice first period for Nikita Tolopilo.
-Today on Canucks Conversation, my cohost Harman Dayal set the line for Victor Mancini’s ice time at 11 minutes. I took the over. Liked some of his reads in the first period, especially in the neutral zone. His first period ice time: 6:12. More than PO Joseph

Second Period

Just two minutes into the period, the Canucks’ forecheck caused some problems for Arber Xhekaj, who turned the puck over with Evander Kane and Nils Höglander pressuring him. Aatu Räty let go of a shot that led to a rebound, which Kane was ready to deposit home.
2-1 Canucks. 
Early into the period, the Canucks weren’t just getting lucky; they were controlling play and outworking the Habs. They also got some more saves from Nikita Tolopilo, like this one off of Cole Caufield on a 2-on-1. Unfortunately, moments after that, Alex Carrier scored as the Canucks failed to clear the puck.
And even more unfortunately, Carrier was at it again, getting to the inside on Tom Willander and giving the Habs their first lead of the night with two goals just 20 seconds apart.
3-2 Habs.
The Canucks didn’t go away easily, however, and Drew O’Connor and Max Sasson linked up to score a nice one after O’Connor took on two Habs before sliding the puck cross-crease to Sasson, who buried his ninth goal of the season and tied this game up.
3-3. 
Some takeaways from the second:
-Liked that puck pressure from the Canucks on the Kane goal.
-Rebuild might be over. We’ll see how the third goes. Sarcasm, for those of you who are new here.
-Aatu Räty might be the guy I’d like to see get the longest run down the stretch of the season. He might be nothing more than a good fourth-line centre, but isn’t now the best time to find out? I’m still chasing that feeling of the two-goal game he had against the Minnesota Wild when the Canucks were forced to play him lots because they quite literally had nobody else to play ahead of him at centre.
-What a find Alex Texier has been for the Habs.
-Fun game through 40 minutes. Big, big fan of the Prime Monday Night Hockey broadcasts.

Third Period

Montreal wasted little time in regaining their lead. Mike Matheson let go of a wrister from the point that Tolopilo had trouble picking up, thanks to Elias Pettersson attempting to get in front of it, and the shot beat him cleanly.
4-3 Montreal.
It seemed like Montreal came out of the locker room dead set on not letting this game be close, as 38 seconds after the Matheson goal, Juraj Slafkovsky got in on the fun:
5-3.
Tolopilo was good through 40 minutes, but those are two goals you’d like your goaltender to be able to stop at this level. It didn’t stop there — although thankfully, it did take longer than 38 seconds this time — as the Habs scored their sixth goal, this time off the rush.
6-3. 
The Canucks got a late power play with just over two minutes to go in the third. What mattered most, though, was that it came as a result of some hard work in the offensive zone from Nils Höglander. Starting to look more like himself. EP40 hit the post, Brock Boeser was denied by Dobes, and the game came to a close.
Takeaways from the third:
-Habs were in the Cup Final in 2021. Since then, they’ve rebuilt and are back to being even more of a Cup contender than they were in 2021 (which, admittedly, was a weird year for the NHL). You hope there’s a lesson in there for the Canucks.
-Those fans in Montreal are LOUD.
-Tough finish after a fun first 40 minutes.
What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below!
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