If you had been told before Monday night's game in Montreal that J.T. Miller was going to have season-highs of two goals and four overall points, you would have been forgiven for believing this would translate into a win. Throw in the return of Quinn Hughes combined with one of the NHL's best road records, and the signs looked positive leading into the Canucks' matchup with the Canadiens.
Ultimately however, the contest against their Canadian rivals turned into yet another exhibit of the Canucks' struggles in recent weeks and inconsistency as a whole this season. Despite Miller's two goals contributing to a 3-1 lead at the midway point of the second period, they ultimately lost 5-4 in overtime and made it just five wins in their past 16 games.
As we wrote following the 3-0 home loss to the Predators, it really is a case of perception being reality at the moment. And what your perception is, can lead to you either be extremely concerned about the Canucks right now, or hopeful.
Do you see this situation negatively or positively?
On the one hand, this is a team looking nothing like the one which just last season secured the third-most points in franchise history, on the way to winning 50 games and clinching their first division title since 2012-13. They Canucks are looking alarmingly poor with their defensive play, highlighted by ranking a lowly 24th in average goals allowed per game and a pitiful tied-28th in team save percentage as of Tuesday morning.
On the other hand, this is a team which remains in a playoff spot as they continue to overcome a ridiculous amount of adversity which includes injuries to key personnel and a reported rift between two of their star players. It should be a tip of the cap to the Canucks' collective mental fortitude, with them still managing to pick up at least a point in 11 of those same past 16 games.
Miller breaks out for the Canucks
Staying on the positive side of things, Miller picked a good time to come up with his most productive game of the 2024-25 campaign, especially with speculation increasing that either he or Elias Pettersson could be traded. If this is the case, he made a solid case to be the one who remains in Vancouver, albeit it ended up only helping the Canucks secure one point rather than two.
As much as no one could have known the 2011 15th overall daft pick would respond so positively to all the uncertainty surrounding his future in Vancouver, some success could have been predicted on Monday night. He entered the game with the most points among all active Canucks skaters versus the Canadiens, with 24 in 35 contests.
Hughes had an immediate impact in his return, leading all Canucks skaters with 26:15 of ice time and contributing two assists. Like Miller though, he could only do so much as the team's collective defensive effort saw Kevin Lankinen allow five goals on 24 shots, representing the third time in 26 starts this season that he has compiled a sub-.800 save percentage.
A confidence issue in Vancouver
Postgame, Miller discussed the Canucks' defensive issues with the media, comparing them to how well the team played last season. As per Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet, he said: "It seemed last year we were a lot more comfortable protecting the lead. (We) still played aggressive, didn't just sit back. Right now, it seems like we're getting overwhelmed with the lead a little bit and, I don't know, obviously. . . we've done it a handful of times now."
The Canucks' alternate captain then broke the issues down further, to provide an interesting insight into the mentality needed in such situations. He said: "You've got to want to be out there. I think whenever it starts to go against you, you start to maybe double guess and squeeze a little tighter, and that goes for the whole team. So we’ve got to find a way, when we get a lead, to bear down on our battles and keep being aggressive."
Canucks coach Rick Tocchet effectively backed up what Miller said, when he spoke with the media. Also as per MacIntyre, he said: "I think there's moments when you need a guy to make a play. It seems like when a team puts pressure on us, sometimes we just start slapping pucks around. You should want the puck. Sometimes there's going to be some contact where you're going to have to go to an area and have contact to get it out. I think sometimes we're a little shy going to that area."
Going back to Miller, as tremendous as he was, he needs to produce more of the same moving forward, both for himself specifically on the team as a whole. Prior to Monday night he had gone 12 games without a goal, and had just two in his past 21 appearances after starting the season scoring four in seven.
Putting more pressure on the 31-year-old to perform better more consistently, is the news that Pettersson is set to return on Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals. Of course the Canucks and their fans would prefer both players remain in Vancouver long-term, but if someone has to be moved, then it's up to each of them to make their respective cases for staying with the Canucks.