Maple Leafs vs Canadiens: Key Takeaways From Maple Leafs' Preseason Battle With Canadiens
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
With the conclusion of Toronto's fourth game of the preseason against the Canadiens, let's take a look at some interesting stories coming out of Saturday's game.
it was the tale of two games, that's for certain. After Toronto dominated the Canadiens on Thursday to the tune of a 7-2 score, the Canadiens exacted their revenge by coming away with a 4-2 victory on Saturday night.
Toronto never seemed to get into second gear and while they made a strong push at the end it wasn't meant to be. The team was missing key players like Auston Matthews and Bobby McMann, so the team wasn't at full capacity tonight.
However, here is a breakdown of what we saw and some stories coming out of Saturday's game:
Anthony Stolarz's Shaky Debut
Not for nothing, while Stolarz put in a decent effort, he wasn't really helped all night which certainly made him look worse.
He gave up three goals on 15 shots and was under constant pressure from the Canadiens while the Maple Leafs defense played a bit lackadaisical all night.
It's one game, so nothing should be taken away from this and no immediate concerns have risen, but Montreal was essentially playing their Laval lineup and dominated.
There was also another injury scare with Stolarz as he took a hit and was shaken up a bit however was able to skate it off and come back out for the second period.
Toronto's Defensive Game Not Up To Snuff
If there was one key takeaway is that the normally staunch Toronto defense ended up playing much much more relaxed and it cost them. Montreal put up 29 shots and consistently put pressure on both Stolarz and Artur Akhtyamov all game.
Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev were a combined minus-3 with no blocks and four hits; very uncharacteristic of the duo, meanwhile the only real standout on the blueline was Morgan Rielly who added an assist.
The issue too is Toronto's four giveaways on defense as opposed to zero takeaways, which meant that Montreal was able to dictate the pace and be able to control the puck the majority of the game.
It's a scary sight to see especially since the defense is expected to be a highlight and a key part of the team's success in 2025-26.
John Tavares Back In A Big Way
If there was one bright spot on Saturday night it was John Tavares, as the former captain added two points (1G, 1A) and looked very much the same player we saw last season which is a great sign.
He was a menace all night, he scored on the power play, added two blocks, two hits, and a plus-1; it was awesome to see Tavares still bringing the heat even in the preseason and there's a lot of hope that he can replicate his 2024-25 season.
While he wasn't able to help carry the team to a win, it was a great showing from the veteran and should help give him some much needed momentum to start the regular season strong.
Final Thoughts
Toronto was the polar opposite of the team we saw Thursday which had a ton of life, energy, and importantly; defensive dominance. They allowed over double the shots on Saturday, and their normally solid back line was porous.
The goaltending was a rough spot too however you can hardly blame Anthony Stolarz given what he had to work with at times, and he was still shaking off the rust from last year.
Craig Berube can at least take solace in John Tavares' performance, and there was some positives about Toronto's fourth line as it seemed they were the only ones with some spark.
The Maple Leafs will look to get back on track Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings as they play their penultimate preseason game before the 2025-26 season kicks off.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 27 | 1140 ANSWERS Maple Leafs vs Canadiens: Key Takeaways From Maple Leafs' Preseason Battle With Canadiens Who do you think was the most impressive in tonight's game? | ||
| Max Domi | 265 | 23.2 % |
| Morgan Rielly | 334 | 29.3 % |
| Anthony Stolarz | 283 | 24.8 % |
| Jacob Quillan | 258 | 22.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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