Matchup between Habs, Canucks should be must-see TV

On Tuesday night, the Montreal Canadiens  will compete for a major league honor: A pristine 10-0-0 start.

Although, according to much of the coverage leading up to the contest makes it sound as though they already have this game in the bag.

The league-leading Habs visit Rogers Arena to face the Canucks, a team with a frustrating stretch of games on its hands. While they are typically a competitive force in the Pacific Division, Vancouver has been letting the opposition “hang around” and giving up leads in the third periods of games. They are heading into Tuesday’s tilt 0-for-4 on their current homestand, with the threat of losing five straight on home ice staring them in the face.

Sure, the Canadiens have the upper hand in this one. But there is a chance that the Canucks will keep it interesting, and make this one heck of a hockey game to watch.

Make no mistake, there won’t be a lack of competitive edge. It should be remembered that the Canucks have won games this season—they aren’t the Columbus Blue Jackets with just a single win on their season—and could string a couple wins together if they play a full 60 minutes. Also, the Habs didn’t exactly play their prettiest win against the Maple Leafs on Saturday, and expressed that they  needed to tune things up before Tuesday’s tilt.

Plus, history has shown how edgy this Canucks team gets when multiple  games doesn’t go their way. The frustrating losses they have been facing on home ice are going to make a meaner product come game time, and this is a Vancouver club that has the potential to rise to the occasion when labeled as the underdog. A tight-checking, hard-hitting game is in the works here.

It will also be interesting to see if Vancouver is the team to finally put the puck past Carey Price in the premiere period. Montreal’s netminder hasn’t allowed a goal in the first 20 minutes of play yet this season, while the Canucks have been jumping out to early leads. If the Canucks’ offense starts chipping away early, the puck could find the back of the net in the first 20 minutes.

Granted, the Canucks don’t have the Habs’ depth (which is also made worse by coach Willie Desjardins insistence on overplaying the same top liners, but that’s a topic worthy of a whole other article all together). They also don’t have the juggernaut between the pipes that Montreal has. No offense to Ryan Miller and his veteran resume, but he’s no Price.

Yes, the Montreal Canadiens have a strong chance of skating off the ice on Tuesday night with a record sitting at 10-0-0. But Vancouver should still make this game must-see TV.