Ex-Canucks forward Tanner Pearson is lighting it up with Canadiens
Former Vancouver Canucks forward Tanner Pearson is off to an incredibly hot start to the season.
When the Canucks traded Pearson prior to the start of this year, they likely didn’t see him starting the new campaign in this way with his new team.
Pearson has had a red-hot start to the NHL season, scoring three goals and adding two assists through five games with the Montreal Canadiens. He’s tied for the team lead in both goals and points.
Tanner Pearson has been EXCELLENT since joining the Habs.
He scores here after a nice PP play by the Habs to give them a 3-1 lead. pic.twitter.com/LSUqSHu809
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) October 24, 2023
The 6-foot-1 winger currently has a four-game point streak and is doing all of this despite not getting a ton of minutes. He’s on the third line and playing an average of 12:58 per night, a similar usage rate to Conor Garland or Anthony Beauvillier.
Pearson has been skating on a line with Brandon Gallagher and Sean Monahan. The three veterans have all turned back the clock as they’ve been one of the team’s most effective lines.
Pearson’s three goals would currently rank second on the Canucks. While it’s still early in the season, he’s already got more goals than he did during his injury-riddled season last year and is well on his way to matching 21 goals, which was the best he managed while in Vancouver.
Some Canucks fans will rue the trade after Pearson’s hot run to begin the season, but both sides needed a fresh start. The winger had gone through a tough 12 months in Vancouver dealing with injury complications. It was also unclear as to where he would slot in among all of the Canucks wingers.
So far, the trade is looking like a win for both sides as it’s also worked out pretty well for the Canucks. Casey DeSmith has appeared in three games and allowed just five goals. His numbers are excellent as he’s rocking a 2.28 goals-against-average and a .938 save percentage.
DeSmith’s strong play gives the Canucks a legitimate backup that can help spell starter Thatcher Demko without a significant drop in performance.
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