Maple Leafs beat Canadiens 5-2 to start season after Marner departure

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened the 2025-26 NHL season with a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Defenseman Morgan Rielly scored the go‑ahead goal 9:02 into the third period to break a 2-2 tie, and Anthony Stolarz stopped 27 of 29 shots as Toronto closed out the win with two empty-net goals by Auston Matthews and William Nylander.

Toronto struck early when Bobby McMann tipped home a William Nylander shot just 60 seconds into the game. Montreal tied the score on a shorthanded tally by Oliver Kapanen midway through the first period, and Zachary Bolduc — acquired from St. Louis in the offseason — put the Canadiens ahead in the second. Calle Jarnkrok evened the contest later in the middle frame, setting the stage for Rielly’s decisive finish in the third. Sam Montembeault made 23 saves for Montreal.

The game served as the Leafs’ first without longtime forward Mitch Marner, who joined the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade this summer. Toronto has responded to that departure by redistributing roles and evaluating new looks in camp. Several players made their Leafs debuts, including Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli and Dakota...