Canadiens open 2026-27 season with 3-2 win over Maple Leafs
Zachary Bolduc scored the go-ahead goal in the second period before Alexandre Carrier added insurance in the third.
What's newToronto coach Jim Hiller said the new-look Maple Leafs struggled to connect their passes in the 3-2 loss.
Montreal opened the 2026-27 season with a 3-2 road win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
William Nylander put Toronto ahead 48 seconds into the game. Josh Anderson tied it for Montreal at 10:53 of the first period, assisted by Alexandre Carrier and Kirby Dach. Zachary Bolduc gave the Canadiens the lead at 4:52 of the second, with Mike Matheson and Anderson assisting. Carrier made it 3-1 at 13:12 of the third. Nylander scored again at 15:46, assisted by Easton Cowan and John Tavares, but Montreal held on.
Toronto had 10 players making their Maple Leafs debuts, and coach Jim Hiller said the new group struggled to connect its passes. “We had a lot of new guys, and I thought we looked a little bit like a new team today,” he told Sportsnet after the game. “Most of the chances that they got, we gave them,” Hiller said. Captain Auston Matthews said Toronto became sloppy midway through the game.
