Montreal Canadiens Defeat Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena
Alex Newhook scored twice to power the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-2 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night. The win extends Montreal’s points streak, with the team sitting at 11-3-3 overall after going 8-0-2 in their past 10.
Newhook opened the scoring at 5:56 of the first period when his pass across the low slot ricocheted off Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe’s right skate and past goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky’s left skate. He added a second goal at 13:06, reaching out from a battle with McCabe in the right circle to deflect a point shot by Kaiden Guhle between Bobrovsky’s pads. According to the Montreal Gazette, the multi-goal performance marked the 10th career multi-goal game for Newhook, while Kirby Dach earned an assist to continue his strong offensive return from an illness.
“Olé, Olé, Olé!” chants rain down in Toronto 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/o5YU6SicUo
Chris Kreider and Zachary Bolduc Extend Montreal Lead
Chris Kreider pushed the Montreal advantage to 3-0 at 12:57 of the second period. The forward intercepted a cross-ice pass from rookie Gavin McKenna near the blue line, raced down the ice on a breakaway, and fired a wrist shot past Bobrovsky’s right pad.
Toronto clawed back in the third period when William Nylander converted on a power play at 6:19, unleashing a one-timer from the left circle to tie John Tavares for fifth on the franchise all-time list with 85 power-play goals. Just 55 seconds later at 7:14, McKenna chipped in a loose puck from the low slot to cut the deficit to 3-2. However, Zachary Bolduc answered for the Canadiens on a man advantage at 12:15, blasting a one-timer from the right circle past Bobrovsky to restore a two-goal cushion at 4-2.
A horrible penalty call on Arber Xhekaj followed by an icing call that wasn’t icing and refs get Leafs right back in this game with two quick goals to cut #Habs lead to 3-2.
Jacob Fowler and Penalty Kill Hold Off Late Toronto Push
Goaltender Jacob Fowler stopped 26 shots to improve his record to 8-1-1 on the season, maintaining an 8-0-1 stretch over his past nine appearances. Sergei Bobrovsky made 24 saves for the Maple Leafs, who dropped to 8-8-2 and have lost four of their last five games.
Toronto earned a late opportunity to tie when Montreal forward Juraj Slafkovsky received a double minor for high-sticking Jack Roslovic with 3:33 remaining in regulation. The Maple Leafs pulled Bobrovsky for a 6-on-4 man advantage for the final 2:24 of the penalty, but Fowler and the Canadiens penalty killers successfully preserved the lead through the final whistle.
GAVIN MCKENNA BRINGS THE LEAFS WITHIN ONE 💥 pic.twitter.com/OeWYJO1FKA
Lineup Changes and Injuries Impact Maple Leafs Roster
The Maple Leafs lost defenseman Morgan Rielly to a lower-body injury early in the second period, with the veteran failing to return for the remainder of the contest. Meanwhile, forward John Tavares returned to the lineup after missing nine games with a lower-body injury. Tavares played on the wing instead of his usual center position for the first time since April 2023.
Bobrovsky’s struggles continued behind a high-priced free-agent contract, as the veteran netminder has allowed three goals or more in 10 of his 11 starts this season. The Canadiens will host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, while the Toronto Maple Leafs return to the ice to host the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Canadiens-Maple Leafs Matchup
What was the final score of the game between Montreal and Toronto?
The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 at Scotiabank Arena, with Alex Newhook scoring two goals for the visitors.
How many saves did goaltender Jacob Fowler make for Montreal?
Jacob Fowler stopped 26 shots faced, improving his personal record to 8-1-1 on the season.
WILLIAM NYLANDER GIVES THE LEAFS SOME LIFE 🚨 pic.twitter.com/CKQngOMbFa
Which players scored for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the loss?
William Nylander and Gavin McKenna scored the goals for Toronto, which fell to a record of 8-8-2.
What milestone did William Nylander reach during the game?
William Nylander scored his 85th career power-play goal in the third period, tying John Tavares for fifth place on the Maple Leafs’ all-time list.
Jacob Fowler politely declined the referee's offer of a mid-game snack 🍏 pic.twitter.com/kxAPNPeNja
More on Toronto Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs D Morgan Rielly will not return to tonight’s game due to injury (lower body).
F🚫WLER#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/VOJvEtAlH9
Un c'est bien, deux c'est mieux One goal is good, but two are better#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/aRUnZntTSM
Tu dois être chanceux pour être bon et bon pour être chanceux! You gotta be lucky to be good and good to be lucky!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/zJkCHfoxxD
Alex Newhook scored twice in the first period and Jacob Fowler made 26 saves as the Montreal Canadiens topped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Saturday https://t.co/40HvHi1K5d
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