The rivalry between the two Canadian Original Six teams is alive and well.
Samuel Montembeault stopped all 47 shots he faced as the Montreal Canadiens stunned the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 1-0 shutout victory.
His performance set an NHL record for the most saves made in a season-opening shutout.
Cole Caufield scored the first Canadiens goal of the season on the power play early in the first period, burying a beautiful cross-crease feed from Juraj Slafkovsky to take the 1-0 lead. It was the first goal the 23-year-old scored since switching to No. 13 to honour the late Johnny Gaudreau.
The loss marks the first time the Maple Leafs have been shut out since Nov. 21, 2021, breaking a 227-game streak.
Presumptive No. 1 goaltender Joseph Woll was scratched earlier Wednesday with lower-body tightness, but backup Anthony Stolarz didn’t look out of place, making some key stops to keep the Maple Leafs within one.
The Maple Leafs made a late push with the net empty late in the third, but Montembeault and the Canadiens were able to lock things down to secure the victory.
