Canadiens experience roller-coaster of feelings in opening-night loss in Toronto

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The Canadiens aren’t anticipated to problem for a playoff spot this season. So the purpose they squandered Wednesday night time most likely received’t come again to hang-out them come April.

There have been positively some negatives in Montreal’s 6-5 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Area to kick off the common season. However there have been loads of positives as properly.

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A group that’s anticipated to be offensively challenged produced 5 objectives towards one of many NHL’s elite groups whereas scoring one power-play objective in 4 alternatives — an space through which Montreal has struggled.

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And sure, the Canadiens squandered a 2-0 lead within the second interval whereas going 18 minutes between photographs, however the guests additionally erased a 3-2 deficit with three consecutive objectives within the third interval, taking a 5-3 lead with barely greater than eight minutes remaining in regulation.

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis needs a group with spunk; one that may by no means give up. And thru one recreation at the least, his gamers delivered on that mandate.

Now Montreal has to discover ways to shield a lead. Two late Leafs objectives, each by Auston Matthews and each scored with netminder Ilya Samsonov on the bench, despatched the groups to time beyond regulation, the place neither group managed to attain, sending the sport to a shootout.

“We have been positively emotionally challenged,” St. Louis advised journalists in Toronto after the sport. “To me that’s a giant a part of this league. We have been emotionally challenged within the second, emotionally challenged on the finish of that third interval. You study from it. There’s nothing you are able to do. It’s completed. Let’s go.”

Mitch Marner scored the one shootout objective, on Toronto’s third try, beating Jake Allen on a excessive forehand to the glove aspect, whereas Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Kirby Dach all have been thwarted by Samsonov.

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New left-winger Alex Newhook paced the Canadiens with two objectives. Jake Evans, Caufield and Jesse Ylönen additionally scored. Evans, who opened the scoring for Montreal three minutes into the sport, scored solely twice in 54 video games final season.

After Noah Gregor scored Toronto’s first objective with a weak shot from the left-wing circle that Allen ought to have stopped, Matthews tied the sport 2-2 with a power-play objective at 14:51 of the second interval. It was Matthews’s three hundredth profession objective in solely his 482nd recreation. He additionally produced his eighth profession hat trick.

William Nylander scored the Leafs’ different objective, late within the second interval. Matthews and Nylander each scored a team-high 40 objectives for Toronto final season.

“It was positively a roller-coaster,” Suzuki stated.

The Canadiens regarded like they’d taken management of the sport within the second interval, when a Caufield power-play objective briefly offered Montreal with a 3-0 lead. However the Leafs challenged the play and, after a video assessment, it was decided Caufield was offside.

Toronto killed off the penalty and Gregor scored, giving the Leafs some life, earlier than Matthews and Nylander ended the interval with power-play objectives. Montreal was outshot 16-2 within the body, offering little assist for the beleaguered Allen.

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“It’s clearly powerful while you go from the thrill of taking a 3-0 lead and now you’re down 3-2 fairly shortly after,” Suzuki acknowledged. “It’s simply (about) managing your feelings.”

Whereas it’s just one recreation, the 2 objectives from Newhook, who performed on a line with Dach and former first total draft selection Juraj Slafkovsky, was a welcome signal of potential issues to come back.

Newhook, who received a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022, scored a modest 14 objectives and 30 factors in 82 video games with the Avalanche final season. Montreal acquired him in a commerce final June for first- and second-round draft picks together with AHL prospect Gianni Fairbrother.

Newhook labored properly with Dach, who had two assists and three photographs whereas logging 21:22 of ice time. Slafkovsky additionally was concerned, delivering three hits and one shot throughout his 15:25 on the ice.

“There are emotional swings within the recreation,” Dach stated. “It’s important to discover ways to discover methods to maintain on transferring ahead. Don’t take your foot off the gasoline pedal.”

On a Canadiens group that doesn’t seem to have a transparent No. 1 goalie, Allen had a see-saw night time. Whereas he regarded weak on three of the objectives, he additionally confronted 42 photographs — 29 alone over the ultimate two durations — and made some sturdy stops, particularly in time beyond regulation, denying Matthews on a breakaway after which Matthew Knies.

However his .881 save proportion on this night time wasn’t adequate.

The Canadiens now return dwelling for 3 video games, starting Saturday night time towards Chicago and first total draft selection Connor Bedard, who scored his first NHL objective within the Blackhawks’ 3-1 loss to Boston on Wednesday.

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