Alexandre Texier clinched the victory for the Montreal Canadiens with a shootout goal, securing a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in an intense Saturday night matchup.
Cole Caufield, who also scored during the shootout, had previously netted a goal in regular play for Montreal (15-9-3). Goalie Jakub Dobes made 22 crucial saves during regulation and overtime to help secure the win.
Scott Laughton managed to score for Toronto (13-11-4), with Dennis Hildeby making 33 saves for the Leafs, whose three-game winning streak came to an end. Hildeby took over goalie duties after Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz were sidelined due to injuries.
The Canadiens, who previously defeated the Leafs 5-2 at home on November 22, continued their dominance when Caufield scored his 15th goal of the season on a power play at 8:25 in the second period. This extended Caufield’s point streak to 10 games.
Toronto’s Laughton responded with a short-handed breakaway goal at 10:28 in the third period, scoring his third goal in as many games by firing a powerful slapshot past Dobes, setting the stage for a suspenseful finish.
Key Takeaways:
Maple Leafs: Goalie Joseph Woll is expected to be out for at least a week due to a lower-body injury suffered during Thursday’s game against the Hurricanes.
Canadiens: Defenseman Lane Hutson is close to matching Montreal’s historical assists record, needing just two more to tie Guy Lapointe and P.K. Subban.
Key Moment:
Texier’s decisive shootout goal against Hildeby and Dobes’ subsequent save on John Tavares sealed the victory for the Canadiens.
Key Stat:
Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly marked his 900th regular-season NHL game, placing him eighth in the franchise’s all-time games played ranking.
Up Next:
Canadiens: Will face the St. Louis Blues at home on Sunday.
Maple Leafs: Will host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.
