On Saturday night, the Montreal Canadiens clinched a tight victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs, winning 2-1 in a shootout. The game highlighted key performances from both teams, with Alexandre Texier scoring the decisive shootout goal for Montreal.

Cole Caufield, who contributed significantly to the Canadiens' scoreline, tallied a goal in regulation, marking his 15th of the season. In addition, he successfully converted his shot during the shootout to help secure the win. Jakub Dobes was instrumental in goal for Montreal, delivering an impressive performance with 22 saves throughout regulation and overtime.

Toronto's lone goal came from Scott Laughton, who found the back of the net during a shorthanded breakaway in the third period. This marked Laughton's third goal of the season and came at a crucial time, as it tied the game late in the match, setting the stage for the shootout. Goaltender Dennis Hildeby faced 35 shots over the course of the game, making 33 saves, but was ultimately unable to stop the Canadiens in the shootout. This loss ended the Maple Leafs' three-game winning streak.

The game saw Caufield open the scoring for Montreal at 8:25 of the second period, capitalizing on a power play opportunity. His goal not only showcased his scoring ability but also extended his point streak to 10 games, marking the second time in his career he has reached double digits in consecutive games.

As the game progressed, Laughton’s goal at 10:28 of the third period created a tense atmosphere, which ultimately led to a dramatic finish. Laughton’s slapshot from the hash marks was powerful enough to beat Dobes, leading to an intense final stretch of the game.

Takeaways

Toronto's head coach, Craig Berube, provided an update on goaltender Joseph Woll, stating that Woll is expected to be sidelined for about a week due to a lower-body injury sustained during a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Woll's absence was felt as the team had to rely on Hildeby in this match due to both Woll and Anthony Stolarz being placed on injured reserve earlier that day.

For the Canadiens, an interesting note is that defenseman Lane Hutson is approaching a significant record. He currently sits at 55 assists for the year, just two shy of tying Guy Lapointe (1976) and P.K. Subban (2015) for the second-most assists in a calendar year by a Canadiens defenseman. The all-time record is held by J.C. Tremblay, who recorded 57 assists in 1971.

Key moment

The decisive moment of the game came during the shootout when Texier approached Hildeby and executed a one-handed deke to score, putting Montreal ahead. Dobes then held firm, denying John Tavares at the other end to secure the victory for the Canadiens.

Key stat

A notable milestone was reached by Toronto's Morgan Rielly, who played in his 900th regular-season game. The veteran defenseman now ranks eighth all-time in franchise history for games played, with George Armstrong holding the record at 1,188 games.

Up next

The Canadiens will host the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, while the Maple Leafs will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in their next matchup on Monday.