Canadiens Deliver Exciting Win Over Maple Leafs in Rivalry Showdown

The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, in a match up between two struggling Canadian teams.

Jakub Dobes not only provided a save on the first shot of the game, he also had a solid outing, saving 24 of the 26 shots sent his way to secure a 5-2 win for the Canadiens.

Let’s dive into the highlights!

Renewed Rivalry

The first period started with the type of sloppiness that led to Mr. Joe’s given name. Both teams wanted to prove they weren’t afraid of backing down, but there were few scoring chances to be discussed.

It was, however, quite entertaining to see Florian Xhekaj land his first hit on his first shift in the NHL. I’d expect nothing less.

And Then A Hockey Game Broke Out

As per tradition, it was the first line that drove the offensive charge.

A play that started with a smart takeaway from Cole Caufield led to one of the nicest passes you’ll see this week via Nick Suzuki, as well as Lane Hutson‘s third goal of the year.

Noah Dobson doubled Montreal’s lead a little more than a minute later, his second of the year. It must be said that Mike Matheson continues to provide an impressive amount of offence given that he’s no longer the powerplay quarterback.

The Leafs Are Falling

The Canadiens were the better team on Saturday, but it was difficult to ignore how poorly the Leafs performed.

They were slow, chasing the play all night long.

They were also soft, providing the same level of grit that you’d expect from most baby powders.

I can’t help but think they were a little better when they had Mitch Marner in the mix, but that would be downplaying their defensive issues, which is likely the most significant factor in their recent struggles, not to mention injuries to key players.

Toronto’s frustration boiled over in the third period, as evidenced by Scott Laughton’s decision to start throwing punches while Jared Davidson was tied up by his teammate.

Back in my day, which was a very long time ago, this would be considered cowardice, plain and simple. Even hermit crabs understand the importance of maintaining a fair fight.

Son Of A Goal Scorer

Dobson would go on to double his tally in the second period, scoring a very similar goal to the one he netted in the first.

Full marks to Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov on the play, as they created the time and space necessary to allow Dobson to find open ice in a high-danger scoring area.

Incidentally, it was one of the best games of the year for both youngsters, with Demidov recording his fifth-career multipoint game, and Slafkovsky using his size-advantage to generate a healthy amount of controlled entries.

To keep the theme of the night going, after Dobson and Hutson found the back of the net, it was Josh Anderson’s turn, leaving just Jared Davidson and Mike Matheson as the only goalless sons at that point of the game.

F. Xhekaj recorded his first career point on the play, due to some solid forechecking, which is exactly what you want to see from a player who was freshly recalled from the AHL.

Ugly Stuff

Toronto’s frustration boiled over in the third period, as evidenced by Scott Laughton’s decision to start throwing punches while Jared Davidson was tied up by his teammate.

Back in my day, which was a very long time ago, this would be considered cowardice, plain and simple. Even hermit crabs understand the importance of maintaining a fair fight.

Davidson had to leave the game after the play, which did not result in a powerplay for the Canadiens.

This led to yet another 2v1 situation, with two players jumping on Josh Anderson.

Shockingly, a 1v1 fight then broke out, with Xhekaj making quick work of his smaller opponent. The Leafs eventually cut the lead to 4-2, but another goal from a son took place, as Anderson scored his second of the game in an empty net, ensuring the Habs left the ice with a well-deserved two points.

The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Wednesday, facing the Mammoth in Utah, with the puck drop scheduled for 9:30 pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.

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