Canadiens defeat Maple Leafs as McKenna's turnovers prove costly
Alex Newhook scored twice and Jacob Fowler made 26 saves for Montreal, which has won seven of its last eight games.
TORONTO · The Toronto Maple Leafs continued to struggle against divisional opponents and on home ice, falling 4-2 to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena. Alex Newhook scored twice in the first period and Jacob Fowler made 26 saves for Montreal, which has won seven of its last eight games. William Nylander and rookie Gavin McKenna replied for Toronto, while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 24 shots. The loss dropped the Maple Leafs to 8-8-2 on the season and 0-3-1 against Atlantic Division rivals.
McKenna, the 18-year-old first overall pick, was at the centre of the game's key moments, committing two turnovers that led directly to Montreal goals. The first giveaway started the sequence for Newhook's opening goal at 5:56 of the first period. Newhook tipped in another later in the period to make it 2-0. McKenna's second error was a cross-ice pass in the defensive zone that was intercepted by Chris Kreider, who scored on a breakaway in the second period for a 3-0 lead. "I thought we honestly played a pretty solid game. But a couple of turnovers, two by myself, that's what killed us," McKenna said after the game.
Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller benched McKenna for the remainder of the second period but sent him back out in the third. The move paid off when McKenna scored his sixth goal of the season 55 seconds after Nylander's power-play marker, cutting the deficit to 3-2. McKenna said he knew his mistake would likely lead to him sitting, but his teammates and coach talked to him during the second intermission. He said Hiller told him he would get back on the ice, which he appreciated and found motivating. Montreal restored its two-goal cushion when Zachary Bolduc scored on a power play with 7:45 remaining, and Fowler shut the door the rest of the way. The Canadiens improved to a perfect 5-0-0 against Atlantic Division foes. "We just shot ourselves in the foot a little bit," said Maple Leafs captain John Tavares, who returned to the lineup after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.
READ MORE: Jake Evans leads Canadiens past Blackhawks with three-point night
READ MORE: Anderson scores twice as Canadiens edge Penguins for fifth straight win
Hiller acknowledged the difficulty of McKenna's learning curve. "You can't do it. You can't continue to do it," Hiller said of the turnovers. "But he's a great young player. Bounced back. Good attitude. All that kind of stuff. Trying, learning, come a long way. So, it's all good. It's just tough sometimes." The coach also offered no update on defenceman Morgan Rielly, who suffered a non-contact lower-body injury in the second period and did not return.
The loss added to early-season pressure for a Maple Leafs team that has seen Bobrovsky allow three or more goals in 11 of his 12 starts. "Urgency always has to be high. Points are too valuable in the league," Tavares said. McKenna echoed the sentiment. "We need to start winning games here," the rookie said. "Each guy in this room has got to hold themselves accountable to being prepared." Up next: The Maple Leafs continue their six-game homestand on Sunday night against the New Jersey Devils in the Hall of Fame Game.
With files from Editor In Leaf, Sportsnet and Yahoo Sports