Looking North: Canucks continue downward trend

Welcome to the third edition of "Looking North," our weekly Friday dive into the all-Canadian division. This installment dates back to Jan. 29.

The rundown

The Vancouver Canucks had a week to forget, dropping three of their four contests while getting outscored 19-12. The Montreal Canadiens finally suffered their first two regulation losses of the season. The Edmonton Oilers currently find themselves on a three-game winning streak, while the Ottawa Senators snapped a nine-game skid Thursday.

The stars

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl put on a show this week. The pair combined for 19 points in Edmonton's three games, all of which were wins. At all strengths, the duo combined for 96 scoring chances while only allowing 37 against. After a big week, McDavid is now on pace to put up 112 points across 56 games, while Draisaitl isn't far behind with a 102-point pace.

Jeff Petry's incredible run to begin the season doesn't seem to be coming to an end any time soon, as he racked up three goals and five points over the Canadiens' last four games. He led all Habs defensemen with a Corsi For rating of 61.59% this past week and also generated a team-high 58 scoring chances.

The Calgary Flames made a big commitment to Jacob Markstrom during the offseason, and so far it seems to be paying off. He made a number of big saves over his past three starts and kept Calgary in games. He helped his team win two of three, recording an impressive 3.25 goals saved above average and a .934 save percentage.

Canadian of the week

After one of the worst seasons of his career with the Leafs, Oilers defenseman Tyson Barrie seems to be back on track with his new club. He started the season slowly but is once again looking like one of the league's premier offensive defensemen.

Barrie has totaled one goal and five assists over Edmonton's past three games. He ranked second on the team with an impressive Corsi For of 60.28% and is tied for second with 47 scoring chances. During that span, he also ranked second on the club with 22:03 minutes of ice time per contest. He's firmly established himself as a vital cog in the Oilers machine.

The moments

Jason Spezza turned back the clock Thursday night, potting his first hat trick since April 2016. After being put on waivers earlier in the season, Spezza has more than proved his worth to the Maple Leafs as a prominent bottom-six center and a key part of the locker room. The 37-year-old netted his third goal in remarkable style.

Tyler Toffoli already torched the Canucks for six goals in his first four outings against them, but he added insult to injury when he faced off against his former team for the fifth time. In what was becoming a blowout, Toffoli undressed Jordie Benn before unleashing a wicked backhand past Thatcher Demko.

Chris Tanev was one of Calgary's biggest offseason additions, and he finally secured his first goal with the club earlier this week. Just as he surely envisioned it would happen, Tanev corralled the puck after the opening faceoff in the second period and dumped it in toward Connor Hellebuyck - the puck took a couple of wild bounces and found twine.

The question

Over the past week, the Canadiens played four times and Jake Allen appeared in net twice. He impressed with a .944 save percentage, though he only came away with one win. The big question in Montreal is whether Allen can keep up his great play as the season goes on.

The Canadiens made it clear when they acquired Allen that they were committed to getting Carey Price a legitimate backup for once. Allen has so far established himself as one of the best backups in the league, ranking seventh among all netminders with a .930 save percentage while earning a 3-1-0 record.

Quote of the week

After Jets captain Blake Wheeler was criticized for his recent play, head coach Paul Maurice didn't mince words when defending his team's leader.

"I've been in awe of this guy since I got here," Maurice said, per TSN. "His worth (ethic), like he's unimpeachable - and his character, how he runs that room and how he plays. He's got f------ 11 points in 10 games."

He continued, "You get a guy in your town that plays that hard and is such a fine, fine leader, and a fine man. Let's be real careful. If his plus-minus number isn't what you want - like he's prorated out at about 88 points, man. And we're 10 games in, we're 6-3-1, and you're beaking my captain. I'm offended by it."

Games to watch

Hockey fans will finally get their first taste of the Battle of Alberta this season when Edmonton meets Calgary on Saturday night. Ottawa will look to redeem itself Monday and Tuesday night when it takes on the Oilers after being steamrolled their last two meetings. Finally, Montreal and Toronto will square off after their sole matchup on opening night.