Canadiens Spoil McKenna's Debut, Beat Maple Leafs 3-2 in Season Opener
TORONTO | Final: Montreal 3, Toronto 2
Forty-eight seconds in, it looked like a perfect night at Scotiabank Arena. William Nylander had scored the first goal of the 2026-27 NHL season, Gavin McKenna was taking his first NHL shifts, and Sergei Bobrovsky was in a Maple Leafs sweater. By the final horn, the Montreal Canadiens had taken over the oldest rivalry in hockey, scoring three unanswered goals to win 3-2 and hand Toronto its first home-opener loss of the Auston Matthews era.
The Leafs had won all 10 home openers since Matthews arrived in 2016-17. Tuesday also marked the first game behind Toronto's bench for new coach Jim Hiller.
How It Happened
A lightning start. Nylander kept the puck in at the blue line, stepped around Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, carried it to the right circle and beat Jakub Dobes to the short side at 0:48. It tied Zdenek Nedved's 1995 mark for the fourth-fastest goal to open a season in franchise history.
Montreal takes control. The Canadiens, fresh off a run to the Eastern Conference Final last spring, answered by winning the middle of the game. Zachary Bolduc and Josh Anderson scored to flip the game in Montreal's favor, with Anderson finishing a two-point night. Montreal dominated the faceoff circle, winning 32 of 53 draws, and turned Toronto's turnovers into its best looks.
The winner. Defenseman Alexandre Carrier beat Bobrovsky glove side at 13:12 of the third period to make it 3-1. It stood as the game-winning goal and gave Carrier a goal and an assist.
A late push. Nylander worked a give-and-go with rookie Easton Cowan, took the return feed in the low slot and beat Dobes with 4:14 left to pull Toronto within one. The Leafs pressed but never found the equalizer, and the night ended with John Tavares and Dobes getting into it after the horn.
Standout Performers
William Nylander, TOR: Both Toronto goals on five shots. He did everything he could to drag the Leafs back into it.
Alexandre Carrier, MTL: Game-winning goal and an assist, named first star.
Josh Anderson, MTL: A goal, an assist and four hits in a classic power-forward performance.
Jake Evans, MTL: Won 10 of 17 faceoffs as Montreal owned the dot all night.
Sergei Bobrovsky, TOR: 21 saves on 24 shots in his Maple Leafs debut.
McKenna's Debut
The No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft started on the second line with Tavares and Nylander and also saw time on the third line. He finished with one shot on goal and a minus-2 in 15:19 of ice time, and he was the first to admit it was not his best night, pointing to a couple of turnovers and crediting Montreal for giving him very little time and space.
That is the reality of an 18-year-old's first NHL game in the toughest market in hockey. The skating and confidence that stood out in the preseason were visible in flashes. The good news for Toronto: he gets another chance immediately.
The Struggles
Toronto's turnovers. The Leafs committed 21 giveaways, and Hiller said afterward that most of Montreal's chances came from Toronto coughing up the puck in its own zone. He was otherwise fairly pleased with the effort.
The faceoff circle. Toronto won only 39.6% of its draws. Teddy Blueger went 1-for-8. Against a Montreal team that thrives on possession, that is a hard way to play.
New pieces, little time. Toronto dressed nine players in their first game with the club, including Kirill Marchenko, acquired from Columbus in a blockbuster trade just one day earlier. With a shortened training camp this year, chemistry is going to take time.
What It Means
For Montreal: The Canadiens picked up exactly where their Eastern Conference Final run left off. They were faster to loose pucks, better in the circle and patient enough to win on the road without their power play scoring. This looks like a team that expects to win now.
For Toronto: After missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade last spring, the Leafs rebuilt aggressively. Nylander looked like a star, Bobrovsky was solid, and the 28-24 shot edge shows the team created chances. The fixes are clear: cleaner puck management and better work on draws.
Up Next
Toronto: vs. New York Islanders, Wednesday, Sept. 30
Montreal: at Pittsburgh Penguins, Saturday, Oct. 3
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