The Montreal Canadiens secured a 4-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena, moving to a 2-0 record against their Ontario rivals for the 2026-2027 season.
The victory continues a strong run for Montreal, which has now earned at least one point in 10 games. According to the NHL, fans can view further statistics via their online match center.
Alex Newhook led the offense with two goals for the Canadiens, while Chris Kreider and Zachary Bolduc also contributed to the scoring. The win helped the team recover after they surrendered a four-goal lead earlier in the week during a 5-4 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Following the win, Montreal supporters at the arena were heard chanting “Olé! Olé! Olé!” as the clock wound down.
Maple Leafs D Morgan Rielly will not return to tonight’s game due to injury (lower body).
Jacob Fowler, returning to the net for his first start since the loss to Winnipeg, turned aside 26 of 28 shots. Addressing his performance and the team’s ability to withstand late pressure, Fowler said, “Je ne pense pas trop au passé. Je me concentre sur mon travail chaque soir. Parfois, l’adversaire va inscrire deux buts rapides. C’est mon devoir de ne pas en accorder un autre.”
The Canadiens entered the final frame with a 3-0 cushion, but the Maple Leafs threatened a comeback late in the game. Toronto’s Gavin McKenna scored his sixth goal of the season, followed by a power-play marker from William Nylander, narrowing the gap to 3-2.
The shift in momentum coincided with a penalty assessed to Arber Xhekaj for unsportsmanlike conduct, which allowed Toronto to capitalize on the man advantage. The Canadiens appeared vulnerable during this surge, as the Maple Leafs attempted to erase the three-goal deficit built over the first 40 minutes of play.
The game featured physical exchanges and missed opportunities on both sides. In the second period, a scrum broke out after Xhekaj saw a shot stopped by Sergei Bobrovsky; Xhekaj was the only player penalized on the sequence, despite Kirby Dach taking multiple punches to the face.
Regarding the incident, a team representative noted, “Je crois que les deux équipes auraient dû recevoir le même nombre de punitions sur la séquence.” During the contest, Auston Matthews missed the target twice on high-quality scoring chances, and Nylander struck the post twice.
Toronto’s Bobrovsky finished the night with 24 saves. The Maple Leafs, who currently hold an 8-8-2 record, saw John Tavares return to the lineup after a nine-game absence due to a lower-body injury.
Montreal forward Josh Anderson was absent from the lineup for personal reasons, with Owen Beck taking his place.
The Canadiens relied on disciplined defensive play to close out the final minutes, including a key block by Nick Suzuki on a dangerous shot from Nick Paul earlier in the contest. Kreider’s goal at 12:57 of the second period, which extended the lead, came after he intercepted a pass from McKenna at the blue line and broke away.
The Canadiens will continue their schedule on Tuesday when they face the Minnesota Wild at the Bell Centre. The team has now won seven of its last eight games.
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