The Canadiens left Scotiabank Arena with a clean, business-like 4-2 win over the Maple Leafs on Saturday, Nov. 7, and the result came with a few clear signs of how Montreal pulled it off. A strong first period, a timely goal from a veteran, and a power-play finish that slammed the door all shaped the night.
Alex Newhook was the biggest early difference-maker. With Nick Suzuki back in the lineup after recovering from an injury, Newhook slid off centre on the top line and dropped to left wing on the fourth line with Oliver Kapanen and Kirby Dach.
The move paid off immediately. He scored twice in the opening period to help Montreal build a 2-0 lead.
His first goal came in messy fashion, with the puck bouncing around the crease and off a Maple Leafs defender’s skate before Newhook was credited with the finish after sliding the puck into a dangerous area. His second was cleaner, a deft deflection on a Kaiden Guhle shot while Sergei Bobrovsky was screened, and it capped another strong stretch of pressure in Toronto’s end. Newhook’s night was a reminder of what he can bring: he can score from distance, he can cash in on scrambles, and he can finish with a tip when the chance is there.
The game tightened in the second period, when Toronto settled in and started pushing back harder after Montreal’s strong opening frame. That’s when Chris Kreider made a major play.
The 35-year-old picked off a pass from superstar and 2026 number one overall draft pick Gavin McKenna, then raced the other way on a breakaway and beat Bobrovsky low to his right. It was a sharp veteran read at the right moment, and it gave Montreal a cushion when the Leafs were beginning to build momentum.
The third period turned tense. Toronto pressed hard, and the Canadiens saw their lead cut in half before the session was halfway over. For a moment, it looked like Montreal might be heading toward another uncomfortable finish while wearing the controversial Hometown Remix jerseys, with memories of the Nov. 3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets creeping back in.
This time, though, the response came. Toronto took a penalty, and Montreal made it count.
Zachary Bolduc finished a power-play sequence with a one-timer that pushed the lead back to 4-2 and sucked the life out of the building. The crowd answered with chants of “Olé!
Olé! Olé!”
and Montreal’s power play, which had been near the bottom of the league not long ago, continued its recent climb. The Canadiens are still 28 th in the NHL on the man advantage, but that’s a step up from where they were just a week ago.
The win sends Montreal into a busy stretch with some notable dates ahead. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and Canadiens legend Carey Price will be honored with a ceremony on Nov. 10 before puck drop against the Minnesota Wild, and then on Thursday, Nov. 12, the Canadiens head to face the division-leading Boston Bruins. After that, the Colorado Avalanche come to the Bell Centre next Saturday.
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