Leafs Dominate Canadiens in Thrilling 7-3 Victory at Centre Bell

Montreal, QC — The Toronto Maple Leafs delivered a commanding performance against their historic rivals, the Montréal Canadiens, with a 7-3 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 21,105 at Centre Bell on Saturday night.

The win showcased the Leafs’ offensive firepower, led by standout performances from William Nylander, Bobby McMann, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who earned the three-star honors of the game.

Toronto’s slow start in the first period saw the Canadiens capitalize early. Kirby Dach opened the scoring at 5:08 with an even-strength goal, followed by power-play and even-strength tallies from Patrik Laine and Josh Anderson late in the period, giving Montréal a 3-0 lead.

LEAFS WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWIN!@LGCanada | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/4Kmfox4Pde

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 19, 2025

The Leafs regrouped during the intermission and came out strong in the second period. Bobby McMann sparked the comeback with an unassisted goal at 9:32, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Just before the period’s close, Nick Robertson scored on the power play, assisted by Ekman-Larsson and Pontus Holmberg, narrowing the gap to one.

The third period belonged entirely to Toronto. Nylander tied the game just 24 seconds in, finishing a setup from McMann. The Leafs took their first lead at 4:31 with another power-play goal by Ekman-Larsson, assisted by Max Domi. Auston Matthews added a highlight-reel shorthanded goal at 7:58, extending the lead to 5-3.

Scott Lorentz netted his fifth goal of the season at 14:45, assisted by Ekman-Larsson and Mitch Marner, who reached 50 assists on the year. David Kämpf sealed the deal with a shorthanded empty-net goal at 18:26, capping off Toronto’s five-goal third period.

Goaltender Joseph Woll stood tall after entering the game following a rough first period for the Leafs. Woll made 32 saves on 35 shots, holding Montréal scoreless in the final two periods.

The Leafs excelled on special teams, going 2-for-4 on the power play while shutting down the Canadiens’ man advantage, allowing just one goal on five opportunities.

Toronto will look to carry this momentum into their next game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.