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Sam Montembeault makes 48 saves, Canadiens beat Maple Leafs 1-0 in season opener

Posted 10/9/24

Sam Montembeault made 48 saves, Cole Caufield scored on a first-period power play and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams. …

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Sam Montembeault makes 48 saves, Canadiens beat Maple Leafs 1-0 in season opener

Posted

MONTREAL (AP) — Sam Montembeault made 48 saves, Cole Caufield scored on a first-period power play and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.

Caufield scored at 7:48 of the opening period, finishing off a tic-tac-toe play with Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach. The Canadiens were 1 for 5 on the power play after going 0 for 30 in the preseason.

Anthony Stolarz made 26 saves for Toronto after expected starter Joseph Woll was held out of the lineup. Coach Craig Berube said Woll had “lower-body tightness.”

Takeaways

Canadiens: Montembeault became the seventh Canadiens goalie with a season-opening shutout. He has two career NHL shutouts.

Maple Leafs: Toronto had trouble staying out of the penalty box with five minor penalties in the first 40 minutes. The Maple Leafs were 0 for 4 on the power play and hit three posts in the second period.

Key moment

Midway through the second period, Montembeault made a glove save on a one-timer from the slot by Auston Matthews, the NHL goals leader last season with 69.

Key stat

Caufield scored in the opener against the Maple Leafs for the third straight season. The 23-year-old American also had his 150th career point in his 206th game, becoming the fastest Canadien to reach that mark since Saku Koivu in 1997-98.

Up next

Both teams are back in action Thursday night. The Canadiens are at Boston, and the Maple Leafs visit former Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe and New Jersey.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl