The Montreal Canadiens crashed the Toronto Maple Leafs’ home opener on Tuesday, walking away with a 3-2 victory. Jakub Dobes anchored the win for Montreal, turning aside 25 shots to withstand a late push.
Early Sparks and Scoring Swings
William Nylander wasted little time, putting the Maple Leafs on the board just 48 seconds into the opening period. The goal, coming after he maneuvered past captain Nick Suzuki to beat Dobes, matched Zdenek Nedved’s 1995 franchise record for the fourth-fastest season-opening goal.
Montreal found its footing at 10:53 when Josh Anderson batted a rebound out of the air. The Canadiens grabbed the lead for good in the second period, with Zachary Bolduc finding the net at 4:52. Alexandre Carrier pushed the lead to 3-1 midway through the third, snapping a shot past Sergei Bobrovsky’s glove side. Bobrovsky, making his first appearance for Toronto, finished the night with 21 saves. Though Nylander struck again with 4:14 left in regulation, the Canadiens’ defense held firm to close out the game.
A New Look for the Maple Leafs
The lineup featured nine new players, most notably No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna and Russian winger Kirill Marchenko. The turnover follows a grueling spring for the organization, which missed the playoffs last season for the first time in a decade.
Momentum for the Canadiens
The team is looking to build on a deep postseason run that ended only in the Eastern Conference final against the eventual Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes.
Turning the Page on the Calendar
The Maple Leafs have little time to dwell on the result; they host the New York Islanders on Wednesday. Montreal will enjoy a longer break before traveling to face the Pittsburgh Penguins this Saturday.
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