The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens kicked off their 2025-26 season against each other. It’s always a great time when these two bitter rivals go at it.
For an opening night game, it seemed to lack some intensity. At times, there wasn’t a ton of excitement, but through it all, when the Maple Leafs needed to score, they did, and they won the game 5-2.
Here are three takeaways from last night’s game.
McMann Looked Good Early
Remember last season when Bobby McMann got off to a bad start and head coach Craig Berube sat him for the beginning of the year? Well, this season he started on the second line alongside John Tavares and William Nylander, and he showed he wants to keep that spot. Right from the jump, he was involved. He showed his speed, was hard on the forecheck, and drove to the net early and often. That resulted in a goal just a minute and 30 seconds into the game. On a shot from Nylander, he went to the net and tipped it in.
Related: Maple Leafs Score 3 in the Third To Beat Canadiens 5-2
After that, he kept the pedal down. There were shifts where he grabbed the puck in the neutral zone, used his speed to get past Lane Hutson, and tried to find his linemates across the crease. For the entire first period, his line was the best on the ice. They stood out every shift, and he played a big part in that. Last night, he showed he wanted that spot on the second line, and if he keeps playing like that, he’ll stay there.
Matthews & Nylander Score First of the Season
For the Maple Leafs, a lot of their success will rely on the play of Auston Matthews and Nylander. Despite what the critics say, it’s true. If they play well for most of the season, the team will too. That has to start early, and it did last night. Both players got on the board, even if they were empty-netters. They still count as the first ones of the season, and that can help build confidence heading into the first stretch of the year.
Last season, Nylander and Matthews scored 45 and 33 goals respectively. This season, both will want to have career years to prove that even without Mitch Marner, they can help lead this team. They now have one goal each on their road to 30, 40, and maybe even 50.
Rielly Was Toronto’s Best Player
There was a time last season when just about every member of Leafs Nation was calling for Morgan Rielly to be traded, myself included. Obviously, that didn’t happen, and he stayed with the organization. At the start of camp, general manager Brad Treliving spoke to the media and said he and Rielly had a “candid conversation,” and that Rielly had “taken it to heart.” If what we saw last night is any indication, he really did and looks determined to get better.
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Of course, there were moments when he looked a bit out of place, more specifically on the power play, but that will come. Still, he was arguably the best player on the ice for the Maple Leafs. He joined the rush at the right times, made smart defensive plays, and most importantly, scored the game-winning goal in the third period. If he can keep playing his game and stay out of his head, he could return to form and be one of the best players on the team. And who knows, maybe even force his way back into the Norris conversation like he was back in 2019.
Next for the Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs have a few days off now but will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 11 against the Detroit Red Wings. They’ll face them again on Oct. 13 (Thanksgiving Monday) in the second half of a home-and-home.
