Jakub Dobes made 26 saves and feistily sealed a 3-2 victory for the Montreal Canadiens over the Toronto Maple Leafs in a Tuesday night regular-season opener at Scotiabank Arena marked by roster debuts, early-game sloppiness, and a late-game confrontation.
Original Six Opener and High-Stakes Debuts
This Original Six matchup featured two Atlantic Division rivals heading in different directions following an off-season of massive roster turnover in Toronto.
The Maple Leafs rolled out ten new faces, including marquee off-season additions. Forward Gavin McKenna made his NHL debut after going as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Winger Kirill Marchenko also suited up for Toronto following a blockbuster trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets, joining goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in his debut for the club. Montreal countered with their own new look.
William Nylander Strikes Early as Toronto Stumbles
Toronto burst out of the gate when William Nylander opened the scoring in the first minute of the game by walking Nick Suzuki and firing a shot past Jakub Dobes.
That early adrenaline eventually wore off. Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller noted that outside of defensive-zone turnovers, his squad played relatively well, but sloppy puck play in their own end fed Montreal’s well-drilled structure. Toronto’s power-play unit went 0-for-4 on the night, struggling to find cohesion.
“Most of the chances they got, we gave them. We turned the puck over in the defensive zone, so that was really our Achillies’ heel. Outside of that, I thought we played pretty well.”
Jim Hiller, Toronto Maple Leafs coach
Jakub Dobes Stands Tall and Elicits Late-Game Friction
Montreal clawed back when Josh Anderson tied the game 1-1. Zachary Bolduc later put the Canadiens ahead in the second period after receiving a feed from Mike Matheson, and Alexandre Carrier extended the lead to 3-1 in the third.
Though Nylander pulled Toronto within a goal with 4:14 remaining in regulation, Jakub Dobes slammed the door with 26 saves, including critical late stops against Auston Matthews. Dobes carried his strong form right over from an exceptional finish to his rookie campaign and a stellar playoff run.
The young goaltender also provided plenty of competitive theatre. As the final seconds ticked away, Dobes yanked John Tavares' stick from his hands, sparking a post-whistle interaction that highlighted his fiery playing style.
Alexandre Carrier said that everyone knows Dobes is a competitor and that it was evident he was focused and in control, having started the season on the same foot he finished the previous one.
Early Defensive Growing Pains for Toronto Pairings
Defenseman Jake McCabe exited the game in the first period after a skate connected near his ankle, forcing the team to cycle through five remaining defensemen and finish with under 12 minutes of ice time for McCabe.
The absence of McCabe scrambled the pairings and placed a heavy burden on the back end. Darren Raddysh logged nearly 24 minutes of ice time alongside Morgan Rielly, but the pairing struggled with turnovers and defensive coverage breakdowns.
Raddysh, who recently got paid $8.5 million, was credited with five giveaways. The aggressive pinching style favored by both Rielly and Raddysh left open ice at times, including a second-period sequence where they nearly surrendered a breakaway to Cole Caufield.
Quick Turnarounds Ahead for Both Clubs
Both teams face immediate opportunities to adjust as the regular-season schedule rolls onward. The Maple Leafs return to action Wednesday to face the New York Islanders, giving McKenna and his teammates a quick chance to clean up their defensive zone play.
The Canadiens will enjoy a brief respite for team bonding before traveling to face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Montreal coach Martin St. Louis pointed to the victory as a comfortable foundation for early-season teaching.
“Do we have things to address and correct? I’m sure we do and it’s nice to be able to do that after a win. The tone of positivity can stay around and (we can) still do some teaching.”
Martin St. Louis, Montreal Canadiens coach