The Maple Leafs just about covered it all the past 48 hours, from four-line hockey and great goaltending to goals at even-strength, power play and short-handed.
It led them to back-to-back home wins, part of taking seven of a possible eight points in a week that showed they’re buying into coach Craig Berube’s game plan. Three of the wins were without captain and Rocket Richard Trophy winner Auston Matthews as his upper body injury heals. Goals from the remaining ‘Core Three’, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander, moved them to 38-19-2 minus Matthews.
But the Maple Leafs’ 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday came with a cost: A serious-looking leg muscle pull that befell second-line left winger Max Pacioretty.
In the second of a back-to-back and third straight victory over an Original Six foe, Toronto improved its record to 9-5-2. It took a 1-0 lead into the room after a period, but Pacioretty didn’t emerge again after limping to the bench with what appeared to be a left hamstring injury. A couple of Leafs had to help him to the tunnel at the horn.
Bobby McMann moved up in Pacioretty’s place with Tavares and Nylander. Connor Dewar and possibly Matthews are waiting in reserve if needed Tuesday against Ottawa. Matthews is eligible to come off injured reserve by then, while Dewar is ready after a long recovery from shoulder surgery and a conditioning game with the Marlies.
After he skunked them with 48 saves in an opening night 1-0 win, Canadiens netminder Samuel Montembeault faced Toronto’s other goalie, Joseph Woll, as Anthony Stolarz was given a night off. Montembeault made five more saves before Conor Timmins fanned on a puck, then wound up with an open lane and his snap shot hit something in front and re-directed.
Never mind the Leafs playing low-event hockey, Timmins’ was a low-event goal, his first since before Christmas 2023, the first point for Ryan Reaves and second assist for Simon Benoit.
The Leafs added two more power play markers on consecutive chances, the Habs parting like the Rouge Sea as Nylander came all the way from the Leafs end, head-faking passes left and right before snapping in his 66th career power-play goal to pass Dave Keon for sixth in club history. After Marner delivered Toronto’s first short-handed strike of the season, a 2-on-1 with David Kampf, Tavares moved the Leafs power play up to 8-for-15 the past four games.
Marner, who had all the pressure on him in the summer after a bad playoff, is playing loose again, even trying to head a high puck forward soccer style. Morgan Rielly collected his 400th NHL assist on Nylander’s goal, and became the first defenceman from the 2012 draft class to hit that milestone.
Marner’s shorthanded goal came while Jake McCabe was serving a minor penalty, but before that penalty expired, Montreal did get a goal from Brendan Gallagher.
The Canadiens failed to avoid a seventh straight loss as the Leafs opened up a 10-point lead on them. Montreal didn’t quit despite being down three goals, forcing Woll to make some of his best stops to even his record at 2-2. He and Stolarz likely will split another back-to-back this week.
The pre-game featured a Remembrance Day observance with Toronto-area men and women who served in World War II, now aged 99 and 100.
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