Following a winless pre-season that got here with its share of struggles, the Montreal Canadiens discovered the win column of their regular-season opener.
Josh Anderson scored the game-winning aim with 19 seconds remaining to raise the Canadiens over the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on Wednesday.
“Winning cures rather a lot. Obviously, we hadn’t received but in the event you rely the exhibition video games,” mentioned Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis. “We hadn’t had a lot of our group all collectively and I do know now we have accidents on the again finish however I assumed the youngsters performed actually, very well.”
Cole Caufield had a two-goal sport and Sean Monahan added his first aim in a Habs uniform. Jake Allen stopped 29-of-32 photographs he confronted.
“It wasn’t an ideal sport,” St. Louis added. “There’s no good sport, it is nearly discovering methods on this league and I assumed the fellows fought tonight and located a approach.”
Michael Bunting, Denis Malgin and William Nylander all opened their 2022-23 season accounts for the Maple Leafs. In his first regular-season begin for Toronto, Matt Murray made 19 saves.
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“There was nothing improper with our effort, it was simply careless,” mentioned Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe. “I count on extra, our group ought to count on extra. It was not adequate.”
Bunting scored the primary Maple Leafs aim of the season when he took a Mitch Marner move from behind the web and broke the ice for the guests 11:41 into the opening interval to go up 1-0.
The Canadiens responded simply 33 seconds into the second. Nick Suzuki despatched a saucer move for Caufield over Leafs defenceman T.J. Brodie and the winger opened his account for the season.
Malgin constructed on his spectacular pre-season by serving to Toronto regain its lead eight minutes later. Left alone atop Allen’s crease, the Swiss ahead despatched a unfastened puck into the web to notch his first regular-season aim in a Leafs uniform.
Caufield took it upon himself to degree the rating as soon as once more. The 22 year-old carried the puck from his personal blue line all the best way to the correct faceoff circle the place he beat Murray with a wrist shot 15:56 into the second interval.
“I imply, you are aiming there. I believe that is [the] spot on that play and also you simply gotta hit your spots.” Caufield mentioned.
Montreal was millimetres away from a go-ahead aim when Dach wrapped the puck across the internet, solely to be stopped by Murray on the aim line. After a overview, the no-goal name stood.
Alexander Kerfoot was given a penalty shot when Arber Xhekaj held the centre on a breakaway. Under a rain of boos, Kerfoot skated down the ice solely to be denied by Allen.
Monahan gave Montreal its first lead of the sport when he grabbed a unfastened puck within the slot and scored his first aim with the workforce 17:30 into the ultimate interval.
The benefit was short-lived because the Leafs evened the rating lower than a minute later. Tavares despatched the puck to Nylander, who scored on a two-on-one alternative to tie the sport with 1:50 remaining.
Just over a minute later, Anderson sealed the deal beating Murray to pull out the victory.
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