Tonight, we got the great pleasure of watching one of the greatest rivalries in hockey. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens faced off in a game with serious playoff implications. A win for the Maple Leafs would push them one step closer to locking up the top seed in the Atlantic Division. For the Canadiens, a regulation win would clinch a playoff spot and officially eliminate the Columbus Blue Jackets.
With both teams playing meaningful games this late in the season, another chapter in this historic rivalry was written—and it didn’t disappoint.
Game Recap
The first period started with the pace you’d expect from two teams with everything on the line. The Maple Leafs came out flying and looked like the more aggressive group, controlling the play early. But a cross-checking penalty from Philippe Myers on Michael Pezzetta gave the Canadiens their first power play of the night. They weren’t able to capitalize, and the game returned to even strength. From there, the Leafs took over. They dominated puck possession and outshot Montreal 10-2 through the opening 20 minutes.
The second period continued with both teams hunting for the game’s first goal. The pace picked up, and so did the physicality. Midway through the frame, Max Domi had seen enough of Kaiden Guhle throwing his weight around and dropped the gloves with him at center ice. The fight only raised the intensity. Both teams were finishing every check, whether along the boards or in open ice. The period ended still tied 0-0, with the Leafs heavily outshooting the Canadiens 21-7.
The third period began just as tight as the first two. With the game still scoreless, the stars on both sides tried to make something happen. At the 17-minute mark, Pezzetta was called for holding the stick, sending Toronto to their third power play. After a few looks, David Savard slashed Bobby McMann, giving the Maple Leafs a 5-on-3 for 27 seconds. Montreal held strong and killed off both penalties to keep the game scoreless. The period stayed fast-paced and physical, with no room to breathe on either side. When the horn sounded, the Maple Leafs had outshot the Canadiens 34-15—and for the first time since 1957, these two clubs were headed to overtime tied 0-0.
In overtime, the Canadiens got the first look. Brandon Carlo fell, allowing Nick Suzuki a clean break on Anthony Stolarz—but Stolarz stood tall. That save turned into transition for the Leafs, who came back the other way on an odd-man rush. William Nylander dished it to Mitch Marner, who made no mistake in tight, beating Jakob Dobeš to win the game 1-0 in OT.
The Maple Leafs will now head to Carolina for the second half of a back-to-back against the Hurricanes. If they can pick up another win, they’ll only need one more point to officially clinch the top seed in the Atlantic Division. Right now, their magic number is down to three.
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