Our takeaways after the Maple Leafs’ season-opening loss in Montreal

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Discuss a troublesome opening day for the Maple Leafs.

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The Leafs misplaced 1-0 in Montreal towards the Canadiens on Wednesday evening, marking the primary time in 21 years that Toronto didn’t rating in its first recreation of the season. In 2003-04, the Leafs have been blanked 4-0 by the Canadiens in Toronto.

And that got here after one more damage for goaltender Joseph Woll.

So, no, it was not a day that Craig Berube will bear in mind fondly in his first recreation as Leafs coach.

Our takeaways:

NO EXCUSES

Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault was spectacular in a 48-save efficiency on the Bell Centre.

On no less than three events, the Leafs beat the 27-year-old however not the iron behind him.

There’s no class within the Nationwide Hockey League standings for almost-goals, and there aren’t any factors awarded for almost scoring.

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You’ve heard it earlier than — like, say, on an annual foundation within the playoffs in Toronto — {that a} membership’s greatest gamers should make a distinction.

Auston Matthews, in his first recreation as Leafs captain, and Mitch Marner every had six photographs on purpose, essentially the most amongst Leafs. On a go from Max Pacioretty, Matthews had a terrific probability to tie the sport within the remaining seconds however shot the puck into Montembeault’s chest.

Neither might tilt the ice within the Leafs’ favour. Ditto for William Nylander, who had quiet one shot on purpose, or John Tavares, who had 4.

Scoring chances are high fantastic when some targets, if not loads, are the outcome. When there’s a zero on the scoreboard on the finish of the evening, the scoring possibilities don’t add as much as something.

And the facility play, which is meant to get a lift with new assistant coach Marc Savard, couldn’t rating on 4 alternatives.

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It was the primary time the Leafs have been shut out since Nov. 20, 2021, when the Pittsburgh Penguins beat them 2-0 in Toronto. And it was the primary time the Leafs failed to attain of their season opener because the 2003-04 season, once they misplaced 4-0 on dwelling ice towards the Canadiens.

Montembeault isn’t any Carey Worth or Ken Dryden. That the Leafs couldn’t beat him — on what’s all the time an electrical evening in Montreal when Toronto is within the constructing — needed to make for a quiet flight to New Jersey, the place former coach Sheldon Keefe and the Devils await for a Thursday evening match.

Coincidentally, Easton Cowan did rating on Wednesday evening, but it surely was for the London Knights in Owen Sound towards the Assault in a 5-4 London victory. For a lot of the offseason, Cowan was pencilled into the lineup on napkins throughout Leafs Nation.

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As an alternative, the 19-year-old didn’t stand out within the preseason, one thing that needed to occur to ensure that him to crack the Leafs roster, and he was returned to the Ontario Hockey League. If solely Cowan might have unfold a few of that modest offence on Wednesday evening, in his first recreation of the season for the Knights, to his future teammates.

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IN THE LEAFS’ NET

There’s no solution to paint a constructive on the information that got here from the Leafs earlier within the day, not lengthy after phrase began to unfold that Dennis Hildeby had been summoned from Toronto.

The truth that injury-prone Woll couldn’t play in Recreation 1 of 82, regardless of making it by the preseason comparatively unscathed, doesn’t bode nicely in any stretch of the creativeness for the remainder of 2024-25.

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Given Woll’s previous in attending to know the Leafs’ medical employees higher than most gamers, does anybody have any confidence that, as soon as he returns, he could make it by the rest of the season with out a difficulty? Even the followers who inform they bleed blue and white, who attempt to be upbeat at each flip, know there needs to be concern going ahead.

What took a number of the sting out of the Woll absence in Montreal was the play of Anthony Stolarz. When he spoke to us following observe on Tuesday, Stolarz was anticipating making his Leafs debut in his dwelling state on Thursday towards the Devils.

As an alternative, Stolarz was thrust into obligation 24 hours sooner than he was planning to play and made 26 saves. There have been questions on how a lot work Stolarz can deal with, which is honest contemplating he’s 30 and has not performed in additional than 28 video games in a single NHL season.

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The pattern measurement, one recreation, is nearly too small to inform us something. Nonetheless, it ought to set some minds comfy that Stolarz wasn’t lit up for 4 or 5 targets, and now we might get a glimpse at Dennis Hildeby in what can be his NHL debut on Thursday.

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THE IMPACT

Berube desires the Leafs to play a heavier, extra direct recreation than they did beneath Keefe, and we noticed it at varied factors all through the evening.

Ending checks, sturdy on the forecheck — the Leafs gave the Canadiens hassle for a lot of the sport.

Montreal scored its solely purpose on an influence play within the first interval, a testomony to the Leafs’ sturdy play within the defensive zone.

Chris Tanev, signed for his warrior-like method, blocked a team-high 4 photographs. When Simon Benoit and Jake McCabe have been on the ice, the Canadiens couldn’t make an impression at five-on-five.

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Steven Lorentz introduced enthusiasm to the fourth line with David Kampf and Ryan Reaves, and the trio shone.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who may need had the Leafs’ greatest probability when he stopped by Montembeault after departing the penalty field, was efficient.

And as for the way forward for Timothy Liljegren, who could also be on the buying and selling block, the Leafs have depth in right-shooting defencemen and can get one other when Jani Hakanpaa returns from a knee damage.

If Liljegren, the Leafs’ first-round decide in 2017, was going to make a big impression, we might have seen it by now. When Berube referred to as him out final week for not being heavier in his play, it was a indication that Liljegren’s remaining time in Toronto might be brief. We’ll see the place it goes.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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