The post-Winter-Olympic free fall continued on Tuesday night as the Toronto Maple Leafs lost their eighth-straight game, this time to the Montreal Canadiens 3-1. William Nylander scored for the Leafs while Joseph Woll made 30 saves.
Related: Maple Leafs Need a Winning Mindset Down the Stretch
On the other side, Oliver Kapanen, Phillip Danault, and Jake Evans scored for the Canadiens, while Jakub Dobes made 17 saves.
Here are three takeaways from the night that was in Montreal.
Power In the Atlantic Has Officially Shifted
It feels like yesterday since we were all locked inside during COVID-19 times to witness the Canadiens stun the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs. At the time, the Canadiens were mediocre at best, and the Leafs were poised to make a deep playoff run. Looking back, we now know that the Leafs were in the middle of a window that has officially closed. The Habs, on the other hand, were right around the corner from starting a rebuild that has officially ended.
We don’t even have to look that far back. On Oct. 8, the Leafs beat the Canadiens 5-2. Since then, the Canadiens have won three straight against the Leafs and have won the season series 3-1.
We are weeks away from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the fates of these two teams could not be more different than what they have been the last several years. While the Canadiens are not comfortably in a playoff spot, they do currently sit third in the Atlantic Division and have put themselves in a position to be playing hockey in the spring.
Even in the losing years, the Canadiens have always been a hard-working team under head coach Martin St. Louis, and that work ethic — plus an improved and matured roster — has been parlayed into a season that could see the Canadiens make a legitimate run.
To touch on Tuesday night’s game, the Habs started with their hair on fire, and the game was never really in doubt. Montreal led Toronto in shots 18-5, and finished the first period with a 2-0 lead. At one point in the second, the shots were 24-7, though the ice did tilt in Toronto’s favour partway through the middle frame. The Canadiens locked it down in the third, outshooting the Leafs 9-2 in the final 20 minutes on their way to a comfy 3-1 win.
A Season of “What Ifs” For William Nylander
Nylander scored at 14:33 of the second period for his 22nd goal of the season, and as he celebrated with Auston Matthews behind the net, I couldn’t help but think about what this season could have been if the pair were healthy. Specifically, if Nylander were healthy.
Matthews’ missing time due to injury has, unfortunately, been a trend in recent years. But for Nylander, this is uncharted territory. The 29-year-old played in every game in the previous three seasons, and his 17 games missed this season are more than any time missed in his entire career.
Even still, statistically, Nylander is having a terrific season. In 48 games, he has 22 goals, which is tied for second on the team with John Tavares, and leads the team with 60 points.
I’m not saying they would have made the playoffs or been Stanley Cup contenders or anything, but I’m confident in saying that, at the very least, these games would have been meaningful down the stretch if Nylander was healthy.
Woll Has Himself a Night
Just like the rest of the team, it’s been a tough season for Woll as well. The 27-year-old netminder has a 3.09 goals against average and a .904 save percentage, which are all the worst of his career. Not by a massive margin, but still the worst.
As we’ve written previously, fans just want to see hard-fought hockey games, and not the lifeless performances we’ve seen since the Olympics. For Woll, it feels important that he plays at a high level down the stretch. At least for me.
I’m not sold on this goaltending tandem moving forward, and personally, I would love to see more of Dennis Hildeby next season. If Hildeby gets more time, who is the odd man out? Well, that’s what management needs to find out.
It feels like Woll has the inside track on Anthony Stolarz. However, let’s face it: Woll is still unproven despite looking very good both last season and playoffs. It’s his ability to consistently be in the net that we have yet to see.
On Tuesday, Woll made some huge stops throughout the night, keeping his team in it for as long as he possibly could. It was encouraging to see maybe one of his better performances of the season at a time when the season is essentially lost.
Up Next for the Maple Leafs
The Leafs will host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night before taking a trip down the QEW to take on the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.
