Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 1 (SO): Defensive Discipline Steals One
On a cold Saturday night inside Scotiabank Arena (at least for fans of the Blue & White team), the Montreal Canadiens slipped out with a 2–1 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was a game defined more by structure than sparkle. From the Maple Leafs’ side, this one felt like it was right there for the taking—especially after Scott Laughton tied it late. But the chances kept sailing wide. The Canadiens’ defensive commitment, paired with 22 steady saves from Jakub Dobes, hardened the story.
There was still plenty of action. Cole Caufield opened the scoring on the power play to push his point streak to 10 games, the longest active run in the NHL. And while Dennis Hildeby stood tall with 33 saves for Toronto, the second period was where things tilted in the Canadiens’ favour. They outshot the Maple Leafs 14–3 and squeezed nearly every bit of space out of the middle of the ice. By the time the shootout arrived, Alexandre Texier and Caufield provided all the touch needed to finish the job.
Key Point One: Montreal’s Defensive Buy-In Hit a New Level
Martin St. Louis said it might have been the Canadiens’ best defensive game of the season, and it looked that way from my computer screen. The Habs pressured, boxed out, and clogged passing lanes in ways that left Toronto fishing for clean looks all night. When a young group buys in like that, you notice.
Key Point Two: Toronto’s Power Play Looked Unsure
The Maple Leafs went 0-for-3 with the man advantage, including a full two-minute chance late in regulation where they couldn’t find a shot. Maple Leafs’ head coach Craig Berube hinted at hesitation—and he wasn’t wrong. The puck movement was fine, but the finish never came.
Key Point Three: Maple Leafs’ Scott Laughton Keeps Answering the Bell
Scott Laughton’s short-handed breakaway goal extended his scoring streak to three games. He admitted he wasn’t happy about the earlier mistake on the penalty kill, and you saw the response. That kind of fire is infectious. He’s become an on-ice leader for his new team.
Final Thoughts from the Maple Leafs Perspective
For Toronto, this one will sting because it was gettable. Missing the net over and over became the theme, and you could hear the frustration in Craig Berube’s postgame voice. The Maple Leafs had the flow in the third period, but couldn’t bury the one that mattered.
Still, Dennis Hildeby’s calm presence was encouraging, and Morgan Rielly’s 900th NHL game added a bit of milestone weight to the night. If there’s a lesson here, it’s simple: the Maple Leafs can generate chances, but right now they need to rediscover a little swagger to finish them.
The next challenge? Finding that edge before this one-game, mini-slide turns into something heavier.