The three-game sweep of the NHL starts in Vancouver where the Canucks used a three-goal first period to end the Montreal Canadiens dream start to the season.
“Other people talked about it, we didn’t,” the Habs’ Max Pacioretty said of the streak. “We’ve gotten off to a great start this year. We’re not happy. You’re only as good as your last game, and we weren’t very good tonight.”
In the end, the Canucks hung a 5-1 loss on the Habs.
Ryan Miller made 25 saves for the win.
“It’s a huge measuring stick against probably the beat team in the League right now,” Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows said. “We really wanted that first win at home probably more than they wanted that 10-game winning streak.”
Jared McCann scored twice and Luca Sbisa, Radim Vrbata and Derek Dorsett added markers for Vancouver.
“It was good to see that we could beat a top team,” Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins said. “I think all our guys had confidence, but it was still nice to find a way and hold a lead going into the third.”
Carey Price made 23 saves in the loss.
“We didn’t match their intensity and there’s no excuse for that,” Pacioretty said. “It was a statement game and they wanted to prove they could beat us, especially in their barn.”
In St Paul, the comeback kids, Minnesota Wild, scored twice in the third period to rally past the stubborn Edmonton Oilers, 4-3.
Charlie Coyle scored the game-winning goal midway through the third.
“I knew I had to come out better in the third. I know I wasn’t playing my game,” Coyle said. “Not a lot of pucks were going our way, so I got away from some things. You can’t do that, so I just tried to respond, get back to my game and make something happen.”
Ryan Suter had scored to tie the game just 43 seconds earlier for the Wild.
Thomas Vanek had two assists in the win.
“I was trying to be patient because I knew they were scrambling after the chance [Fontaine] had,” Vanek said. “I saw [Coyle] powering his way to the net, so I just tried laying it in there and give him a chance to put it in.”
Devan Dubnyk had 22 saves in the win and Cam Talbot stopped 24 in the loss.
In Detroit, the Carolina Hurricanes got an early third period goal from Ron Hainsey and rode that to a 3-1 win over the host Red Wings.
“We’ve skated pretty well against them this year,” Hainsey said. “Obviously, three of our nine games have been against them early.”
Cam Ward made 25 saves for the Canes’ win.
“Right from the get-go, we came to play tonight,” Ward said. “I particularly liked the way we tracked them defensively.”
Victor Rask and Eric Staal also scored for the Hurricanes who improved to 3-6-0.
“I think it was not a lot happening, chances-wise,” Red Wings Henrik Zetterberg said. “I think it was a really tight game, both teams played strong in front of their goalie.”
The Wings’ lone goal came from Jakub Kindl.
Petr Mrazek made 18 saves in the loss.
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