Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens trade first-period strikes at Bell Centre as Jake Evans seals it late

The Toronto Maple Leafs left the Bell Centre with a 27-27 record and 1 point after a 3-1 result against the Montreal Canadiens, who moved to 35-18 with 3 points in the standings.

First period

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened with 0 goals in the period while logging 23 hits on the night and finishing at 51 percent on faceoffs.

The Montreal Canadiens scored 2 goals in the period and finished the game with 33 shots while the Maple Leafs ended with 18 shots.

Second period

The Maple Leafs got their 1 goal in the second period at even strength, and William Nylander’s 1 goal on 3 shots from the previous game was a finishing touch that carried into this matchup’s scoring column.

The Canadiens posted 0 goals in the second period, and Jakub Dobes kept the game in check with 17 saves on 18 shots while earning the win in goal.

Third period

The Maple Leafs scored 0 goals in the third period and went 0-for-2 on the power play with 1 shot during their 2 opportunities.

The Canadiens scored 1 goal in the third period and added 1 empty-net goal while generating a plus-minus of 10 compared to the Leafs at minus-11.

Overtime and final horn

This Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens match summary ends with Montreal scoring 3 even-strength goals while Toronto produced 1 even-strength goal and received a 30-save performance from Joseph Woll on 32 shots against.

The Maple Leafs logged 19 blocked shot attempts and 12 giveaways, and the Canadiens countered with 18 blocked shots and 8 takeaways as the Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens tactical recap centered on puck pressure and contested lanes.

The Toronto Maple Leafs full-time result also reflected special-teams stalemate, with both teams going scoreless on 2 power plays apiece while each side recorded 11 penalty minutes.

The post game analysis begins with the Leafs’ shot volume at 18 and the Canadiens’ at 33, and Montreal’s listed stars were Jake Evans, Oliver Kapanen, and Jakub Dobes after the game closed at 12:36 AM EDT.

The Maple Leafs are scheduled to host the Anaheim Ducks at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario on 3/12/2026 at 7:00 PM EDT, with broadcasts listed on ESPN+, Victory+, and KCOP-TV.

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