NHL
Advertisement
live
Updated 2m ago
The Canadiens face a tough test to start the season today with a matchup against the Maple Leafs in Toronto.
Tonight sees the Maple Leafs playing their first game without Mitch Marner, who was sent to the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade deal during the offseason.
Send us your thoughts on the game at live@theathletic.com.
P3 20:00 – Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 2
The final period is underway from Scotiabank Arena!
Advertisement
Auston Matthews has yet to record a shot on goal tonight. That's a surprising stat for the player who has scored 12 goals in season openers, just two behind Michel Goulet and Dino Ciccarelli for the most in NHL history. He's had two shot attempts, seeing one blocked and the other miss the target.
Scotiabank Arena’s loudest roar of the night comes as the Blue Jays-Yankees game plays on the scoreboard.
Toronto is leading New York 2-1 in the seventh inning, nine outs away from advancing to the ALCS.
A much better start to the season for Calle Järnkrok, who scored the Leafs' second goal tonight. Järnkrok didn't play his first game last season until March because of injury. He ended up scoring only once in 19 games. He arrived this fall healthy and in good spirits and made a positive impression on Craig Berube at training camp.
With Oliver Kapanen's goal in the first period, Montreal opened its season with a shorthanded goal for the third time on record, alongside Mark Recchi in 1995 and Gilles Tremblay in 1967.
Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 2
Advertisement
End of P2 – Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 2
Slafkovsky has the best chance of the second period's final minute but he's stopped by Stolarz from close range.
P2 0:57 – Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 2
McMann finds Tavares near the left faceoff dot, but Montembeault makes a strong save on his ensuing shot.
At the other end of the ice, Ekman-Larsson and Slafkovský get into a scuffle following a stoppage but the ref doesn't let it escalate any further.
P2 4:00 – Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 2
The Canadiens generate several dangerous chances on the man advantage, with Hutson and Caufield forcing saves from Stolarz, but fail to cash in.
P2 6:22 – Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 2
The Habs go more than five minutes of game time without a shot on goal, but after ending the drought they soon get a power play as well as Knies is sent to the box for holding Matheson.
P2 11:50 – Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 2
Ekman-Larsson sets Benoit up for a redirection right in front of goal, but the puck flies wide of the net. Benoit looks to the rafters in disbelief.
Advertisement
P2 12:35 – Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 2
A rebound comes straight to Domi on the right wing. He quickly fires the puck on net but his shot is straight at Montembeault, who makes the save.
P2 13:04 – Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 2
A great chance for the Habs to quickly retake the lead as Demidov feeds Kapanen on the rush, but Tanev gets his stick in the way to break up the play.
P2 14:20 – Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 2
Rielly has a free shot from the slot but Montembeault manages to make the stop. The Canadiens fail to clear the zone, however, and moments later Jarnkrok makes them pay, slamming the puck home past Xhekaj and Montembeault.
Zack Bolduc scores in his first game in a Canadiens uniform after spending the first two years of his career with the Blues.
P2 18:30 – Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 1
A bad turnover in the defensive zone by the Leafs leads to Stolarz giving up a juicy rebound on a Gallagher shot, and Bolduc is there to jam the puck home! The Habs have their first lead of the night.
Advertisement
P2 20:00 – Canadiens 1, Maple Leafs 1
We're back in action at Scotiabank Arena.
This is a first. We're watching baseball on the jumbotron at the Leafs game.
The Blue Jays and Yankees are currently tied 1-1 in the fourth inning of Game 4 of their series.
With his game-tying goal in the first period, Oliver Kapanen became the fifth player in Canadiens history to score his first career NHL goal while shorthanded.
The other Montreal players to do so: Chris Chelios in 1984, Doug Jarvis in 1975, Lawrence Pleau in 1970 and Jacques Laperriere in 1963.
Hockey News