The Montreal Canadiens got revenge on their longtime rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, with a 4-2 win on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena.
The Habs avenged the 7-2 pounding they took at the Bell Center on Thursday night, with a solid all-around effort. Montreal capitalized on several key defensive mistakes by Toronto to grab a 4-1 lead late in the third period.
The Canadiens managed to hold off a late push by the Leafs. William Nylander got a goal to make the game relatively close with less than two minutes to go. But Canadiens’ goalie Kaapo Kahkonen shut the door en route to a solid 21-save performance.
The game featured a strong performance by Alex Newhook. The Canadiens’ center notched a goal and an assist. Interestingly, Newhook could be in the mix for the 2C role heading into the season. Saturday night’s performance provided more evidence to convince coach Martin St. Louis that he can fill in that role.
Also, star defenseman Lane Hutson played another great game. The Calder Trophy winner scored a goal while playing over 20 minutes on the night. He played with Jayden Struble, who seemed to hold his own quite well.
Overall, the Canadiens played the sort of game fans want to see. They pounced on an uninspired Maple Leafs’ veteran group that didn’t seem overly invested in playing their hearts out.
Power Play Key to Canadiens’ Victory over Maple Leafs
One of the biggest keys to the Canadiens’ victory was the two power play goals. The first came from Riley Kidney in the second period. The goal came after Maple Leafs’ goalie Anthony Stolarz made an initial save in close. The rebound came to Kidney, who buried it for a 2-0 lead.
Toronto answered with a power play goal of its own a few minutes later. But then, Lane Hutson continued his dominance with the man advantage, ripping a shot from high in the slot to put the Canadiens back up by two.
The key to the goal was the initial fake and dragging the puck slightly over to his left before unloading on Stolarz. The puck got through traffic and hit the back of the net with ease. The goal proved to be the game-winner as the Canadiens locked the game down in the third period.
All told, the Canadiens went 2-for-3 on the power play. The club hopes that’s a trend that will continue throughout the season.
Habs Get Encouraging Goaltending Performance
A concern following Thursday night’s game was the lackluster performance from the Canadiens’ goaltenders. But that was not the case on Saturday night.
Based on what fans saw against the Maple Leafs on Saturday night, it looks like Kahkonen will be just fine in the backup role. Kahkonen’s 21 saves, including nine in the third period. Kahkonen looked steady during the Leafs’ late third-period push, giving the club stability down the stretch.
The Canadiens may need to rely on Kahkonen this season to provide crucial stability in the crease. While Montembeault will get the lion’s share of starts this season, Kahkonen could see plenty of action. That situation will be crucial in the Habs’ efforts to land a playoff spot.
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