VANCOUVER -- The Montreal Canadiens' perfect start is history.
The Vancouver Canucks ended the Canadiens' season-opening winning streak at nine games and avoided an ignominious record of their own with a 5-1 win Tuesday.
Rookie center Jared McCann scored twice, former Canadiens forward Brendan Prust had two assists and Ryan Miller made 25 saves to help Vancouver end Montreal's streak at nine victories, one short of matching the NHL record for most wins at the start of a season. Luca Sbisa, Radim Vrbata and Derek Dorsett also scored for the Canucks, who won for the first time in six games at Rogers Arena to avoid a franchise record for the worst start to a season on home ice.
Torrey Mitchell scored on a deflection 2:54 into the third period for the Canadiens to make it 3-1, bringing back memories of the Canucks (4-2-3) blowing third-period leads in their past two games. But Montreal took a bench minor for too many men on the ice to negate a power play of their own three minutes later, and Vrbata restored Vancouver's three-goal lead at the end of the power play before Dorsett rounded out the scoring on a nice rush midway through the period.
Carey Price made 23 saves for the Canadiens (9-1-0), who had to settle for becoming the first team in NHL history to win its first nine games in regulation. They came up one short of joining the 1993-94 Toronto Maple Leafs and 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres as the only teams to start a season with 10 straight wins.
The Canadiens came into the day leading the NHL in goals scored and goals allowed, but were down 3-0 before the end of the first period after a couple tough bounces.
McCann, a 19-year-old rookie, opened the scoring 2:30 into the game after Prust handcuffed his old goalie with a high shot from the faceoff circle. Price appeared to make a windmill save, but the puck came out of his glove, bounced off his shoulder and rolled down his back, leaving a charging McCann with an open net for his third goal.
The Canadiens, who had trailed for 2:57 all season, fell behind 2-0 on another tough bounce for Price 6:42 later. With Miller pulled for an extra attacker during a delayed penalty, Sbisa's one-timer from the point was tipped in the slot by Montreal defensemen Nathan Beaulieu and bounced up and over a helpless Price and into the net.
Montreal had several great chances to get back into the game, but Miller slid across and threw out his blocker to rob David Desharnais on a 2-on-0 break down low with Tomas Fleishmann.
McCann made it 3-0 with 4:08 left in the period, winning an offensive zone faceoff after a P.K. Subban icing, sliding into the slot for a return pass from Prust and snapping a quick shot past Price's outstretched glove. It was McCann's team-leading fourth goal in seven games, strengthening his case to stay in Vancouver this season rather than returning to his junior team.
Prust, who said Monday it still "hurt a little" to be traded by Montreal in the summer, would have added a third assist if not for Price robbing Sbisa in the slot, but Prust's night ended early after turning his left ankle awkwardly in a puck battle in the corner late in the second period.
It was a tough night for Price, who came in with a .961 save percentage. After bad breaks on two of the first-period goals, Vrbata scored when he batted a puck out of the air and past the Canadiens goalie after it bounced up off a defender's stick. Dorsett was able to walk into the low slot untouched before his shot bounced in off Canadiens forward Alexander Semin on the backdoor.
Vancouver was playing without top-four defenseman Dan Hamhuis, who was a late scratch, taking what the team called a "maintenance day" to rest an unidentified ailment.
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