3 Takeaways From the Canadiens’ 4-2 Win Over the Maple Leafs

On Saturday, Nov. 7, the Montreal Canadiens took the road, packing their Hometown Remix kits with them, to face their eternal rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, at Scotiabank Arena. After the midweek topsy-turvy clashes, head coach Martin St. Louis’ collective held its ground rather firmly with a comparatively business-like performance, skating to a 4-2 victory. Here are the takeaways.

Alex Newhook, Line, and Sinker

When captain Nick Suzuki slotted back into the lineup after recovering from an injury, it meant that Alex Newhook would no longer play centre on the club’s top line. Whether the Newfoundlander truly is a brilliant fit or not for so prestigious a role is up for debate, but suffice it to say that he arguably has more support from the fanbase than Oliver Kapanen, who also filled Suzuki’s skates for a couple of matches.

So it was that Newhook was tasked with playing left wing on the fourth line alongside the aforementioned Kapanen as well as Kirby Dach. The demotion, so to speak, ended up being a stroke of genius. The forward put his signature on the first period, scoring a brace to help his side head back to the dressing room with a 2-0 lead.

To be clear, his first was more a case of a puck that ping-ponged in the crease and off the skate of a Maple Leaf defender. Somebody had to be credited with the goal, but it was Newhook who slid the pass in the dangerous area.

His second was a deft deflection on a Kaiden Guhle shot whilst blinding Toronto’s Sergei Bobrovsky, capping off more solid pressure from the Canadiens in their rivals’ zone. His effort on the night encapsulated his worth for the club. He doesn’t always snipe shots into the top corner like Cole Caufield, but he can. He doesn’t always score garbage goals, but he can. He doesn’t always light the red lamp with clever tip-ins, but he can.

Newhook can affect a game in a variety of ways, and even though he can go quiet for several matches at a time, when he’s involved, it delivers impressive first periods like Saturday night.

Chris Kreider Alert

A player we have written about before and gave a lukewarm warm review of, Chris Kreider was part of the action in a significant way, too. 

In many respects, the winds of momentum began blowing in a direction in the second period. Whereas the opening stanza offered a complete package performance by the Canadiens, the Maple Leafs settled in during the intermission and started playing with more gumption after the clubs returned to the ice. 

It was therefore quite a moment when Kreider, 35 years old and counting, got the better of not just any Torontonian player, but superstar and 2026 number one overall draft pick Gavin McKenna.

The young buck was hoping to send a pass across the width of the offensive zone to set up a play. Kreider, alert and ready for the jump, intercepted the disc and, as best he could, raced the other way on a breakaway before firing a shot that beat Bobrovsky low and to his right. Just like that, the Canadiens were rewarded for confidently absorbing pressure by padding their lead when things could have easily gotten worse.

McKenna will undoubtedly be a star in the NHL. He has already shown flashes of brilliance during the first month and a half of the campaign. But veterans like Kreider are the ones who will remind him he still has a few lessons to learn. His speed is mostly gone (he was caught quickly on his breakaway), but the mind remains a keen hockey weapon.

Holding the Fort When It Mattered

There was a decidedly alarming sequence in the third period when the hosts sensed that the game was starting to escape them. Montreal was under constant pressure from the Leafs, which eventually led to a pair of Toronto goals before the session’s halfway point. 

To make matters worse, at least for supporters, the Canadiens squandered a nice lead in the third period wearing the controversial Hometown Remix jerseys. The emotional damage of the Nov. 3 disaster against the Winnipeg Jets resurfaced. 

But things played out differently this time. Not only was Toronto sent to the sin bin for naughty behaviour – always a momentum killer – but the Canadiens capitalized on the man advantage. Effective pressure in the offensive zone concluded with Zachary Bolduc destroying a one-timer to restore a two-goal advantage at 4-2. 

It was a momentum-altering marker that took the air out of the building. Or, rather, made the army of Canadiens fans start chanting “Olé! Olé! Olé!” Furthermore, Montreal’s power play has improved recently. The team is only 28^th in the NHL, but they were basement dwellers barely a week ago.

Carey Price, Boston Bruins Await

It seems fitting that the Canadiens should leave a rival’s arena with two points in the bag. It always feels fantastic getting a win over a familiar foe, but the team has a big week ahead. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and Canadiens legend Carey Price will be honoured with a ceremony on Nov. 10 before puck drop against the Minnesota Wild, one of the hottest teams these days.

Then on Thursday, Nov. 12, it’s a game many have been salivating for: a visit to the division-leading Boston Bruins. Come next Saturday, when the Colorado Avalanche visit the Bell Centre, there may be a different club sitting atop.