About Final Night time: Kirby Dach's line shines in inconsistent opener for Habs

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The Montreal Canadiens blew two leads en path to a 6-5 shootout loss towards the Toronto Maple Leafs of their 2023-24 season opener on Wednesday at Scotiabank Enviornment.

Auston Matthews scored a hat trick for the successful aspect. In his first common season sport for the Habs, Alex Newhook led the best way on offence with two targets. He and linemates Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky mixed for 5 factors on the night time.

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Jake Allen received the nod in objective and responded with 37 saves on 42 pictures, together with a pair targets allowed that he in all probability needs again. However he additionally battled into time beyond regulation to safe a degree within the standings for his membership.

Jake Evans opened scoring on a breakaway after TJ Brodie blew a tire within the different finish.

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The Leafs acquired Ryan Reaves within the low season to present the crew somewhat sandpaper, and he confirmed it early hitting Kaiden Guhle within the letters. Arber Xhekaj instantly dropped the gloves in defence of his teammate, and received the instigator and a 10-minute misconduct for his troubles.

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The Habs had been up 1-0 after the primary interval, and took a 2-0 lead at 1:10 within the second. After inflicting the turnover behind his personal internet, Slafkovsky hustled up the ice and arrange Newhook for his first objective as a Hab.

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After Cole Caufield had a power-play objective referred to as again on an offside coach’s problem, momentum swung within the different route. Toronto outshot Montreal 16-2 within the second interval and ended the body with three unanswered targets.

Camp tryout Noah Gregor received issues began, beating Allen from an unlikely angle.

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Then Matthews tied it up on the facility play for the three hundredth objective of his profession.

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With time winding down within the interval, William Nylander gave the Leafs their first lead of the night time with one other power-play marker. Leafs had been up 3-2 after 40 minutes.

Caufield received his revenge for his overturned objective with a knuckler that beat Ilya Samsonov for a game-tying power-play objective at 4:25 of the third interval.

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Simply over a minute later, Newhook tipped in a shot by Xhekaj, with Slafkovsky additionally parked in entrance of the online, to present Montreal a 4-3 lead.

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For a second, it regarded like Montreal’s comeback was full when Jesse Ylönen took benefit of a Leafs turnover to present the Habs a 5-3 lead.

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Alas it was to not be. Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe aggressively pulled his goalie for an additional skater with greater than 4 minutes remaining, and Matthews justified the transfer by slicing Montreal’s result in 5-4.

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Then with simply over a minute left in regulation, Matthews accomplished his hat trick to ship the sport to time beyond regulation.

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Three-on-three time beyond regulation solved nothing. Montreal ended the additional body on the facility play, however couldn’t convert. Within the shootout, Mitch Marner was the one skater to seek out the again of the online. His objective was sufficient to ship the house crew to the dressing room with a 6-5 win.

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It was an entertaining season opener in Toronto, with a number of lead modifications and possibilities at each ends. Thus far so good for the road made up of key Kent Hughes acquisitions: 2022 first general decide Slafkovsky regarded just like the bodily dominant ahead that was marketed when he was drafted, whereas Dach and Newhook have discovered fast chemistry. Hockey Stat Playing cards tells the story of their effectiveness as a line.

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The Liveblog commenters preferred the brand new second line, however had been lower than impressed with the goaltending efficiency of Allen. The Canadiens emerged from camp with three goaltenders on the roster, however none of them regarded like a No. 1 in preseason. Goaltending is all the time a hot-button difficulty in Montreal, however the present netminding trio may actually trigger some consternation this season.

Because of all of the commenters who confirmed up for Liveblog sport one. Right here’s to a different season in good firm.

3. “Slaf regarded significantly better tonight. He’s utilizing his dimension, taking part in with extra confidence, and, most significantly, is processing the sport sooner.” -Michael Method

2. “Isn’t it humorous how Domi admitted he missed the Montreal followers, after they requested in regards to the Toronto followers on the Leafs golf event.” -Ryan Katz

1. “I count on we would see plenty of this kind of factor this 12 months.” -Max Grey

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