Bold opening: A dramatic shootout win propels the Canadiens past the Maple Leafs, flipping the script in Toronto and proving every moment counts.
In a tense clash Saturday night, Alexandre Texier secured the deciding goal in the shootout as the Montreal Canadiens edged the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1. Cole Caufield, who also scored in the shootout, added a regulation goal for Montreal (now 15-9-3). Jakub Dobes turned in a solid performance with 22 saves through regulation and overtime.
Toronto’s reply came from Scott Laughton on a short-handed breakaway at 10:28 of the third, his third goal of the season and his third in as many games, briefly tilting momentum back in the Leafs’ favor before the finale.
Starting goalie Dennis Hildeby stopped 33 shots for Toronto, but the Leafs’ three-game winning streak ended as Joseph Woll was unavailable earlier in the day, stepping out with an injury and joining Anthony Stolarz on the injured list.
Key moments and context
- Montreal drew even on the power play in the second period when Caufield redirected his 15th of the year past Hildeby, extending his point streak to 10 games for the second time in his career with a double-digit run.
- Texier’s decisive move in the shootout featured a one-handed deke that left Hildeby beaten before Dobes faced John Tavares at the other end to cap the win.
Takeaways
- Maple Leafs: The injury situation worsens as coach Craig Berube confirmed Woll would be out for about a week after sustaining a lower-body injury in Thursday’s win over Carolina.
- Canadiens: Lane Hutson is continuing a sensational season, with 55 assists in 2025, just two away from tying Montreal defense legends Guy Lapointe (1976) and P.K. Subban (2015) for the second-most in a calendar year; JC Tremblay still holds the single-year record with 57 in 1971.
Notable numbers
- Morgan Rielly skated in the 900th regular-season game of his NHL career, placing him eighth in Canadiens history for longevity. The franchise record remains George Armstrong with 1,188 games.
Upcoming games
- Canadiens return home to host the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.
- Maple Leafs travel to face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on December 6, 2025.
Would you prefer a deeper dive into Texier’s shootout technique or a broader comparison of Montreal’s and Toronto’s strategies in this matchup for discussion in the comments?
