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The Montreal Canadiens opened their NHL pre-season schedule with a convincing 4-1 split-squad victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena. The result drew significant attention, however, as No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna made his professional debut for Toronto in the contest.
Canadiens Pull Away in the Third Period
Montreal secured the win when Maksymilian Szuber scored the decisive goal in the third period. The Canadiens entered the game as the undermanned side, travelling with a younger lineup that lacked the club’s usual star power.
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Phillip Danault contributed two goals for Montreal, including one into an empty net. Samuel Poulin also found the back of the net, rounding out the scoring for the visitors. Together, the four goals gave Montreal a comfortable margin against a Toronto side that iced the majority of its NHL roster.
In net, Samuel Montembeault delivered a flawless performance, stopping all 13 shots he faced. Kaapo Kahkonen came on in relief during the second period and added 11 saves of his own. The two goaltenders combined to keep Toronto largely off the scoresheet throughout the night.
Bobrovsky and Stolarz Share Duties for Toronto
Toronto received a split goaltending effort as well. Sergei Bobrovsky started but allowed one goal on 11 shots before leaving midway through the game. Anthony Stolarz then took over and finished with 15 saves. Despite their efforts, the Maple Leafs managed only a single goal, scored by Darren Raddysh.
McKenna Makes His Professional Debut
The most closely watched storyline of the evening was the professional debut of Gavin McKenna, the No. 1 overall pick. McKenna took the ice for Toronto in what marked his first appearance at the professional level. His debut drew considerable interest from fans and observers ahead of the regular season.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens — who reached last season’s Eastern Conference final — also hosted Toronto in the other half of the split-squad matchup at the Bell Centre on the same night. Saturday’s games marked the first action of the NHL’s 2026 pre-season schedule for both clubs.
