Canadiens snap five-game skid with 5-2 win over Maple Leafs

Montreal Canadiens' Noah Dobson (53) celebrates with teammate Mike Matheson (8) after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs during first period NHL hockey action in Montreal, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Noah Dobson and Josh Anderson scored twice to help the Montreal Canadiens snap a five-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the rival Toronto Maple Leafs in a battle of two slumping teams on Saturday night.

Lane Hutson also scored as Montreal (11-7-3) won for just the second time in nine games after a hot start to the season.

Ivan Demidov and Mike Matheson provided two assists each, and Jakub Dobes made 24 saves for his first win since Oct. 28.

Joseph Woll gave up four goals on 25 shots in his fourth consecutive start for Toronto (9-10-3) before he was pulled 13:11 into the second period. Dennis Hildeby stopped all three shots he faced in relief.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson and William Nylander scored for the Leafs, who opened a six-game road trip with their seventh loss in eight outings. Toronto captain Auston Matthews and winger Matthew Knies, among several other regulars, were sidelined with injuries.

The Leafs controlled the play early until the Canadiens struck twice 82 seconds apart with goals from Hutson — on a deceptive cross-ice feed from Nick Suzuki — and Dobson to take a 2-0 lead at 13:33 in the period.

That momentum carried into the second, as Dobson walked into a one-timer teed up by Demidov at 4:09. Anderson then gave the Canadiens a 4-0 lead to end Woll’s night, before Ekman-Larsson pulled one back late in the period.

Nylander buried his 10th on the power play to make it 4-2 with 5:05 remaining in the third, but Anderson scored an empty-net goal with 2:10 remaining to seal the win.

TAKEAWAYS

Canadiens: Forward Florian Xhekaj tallied his first assist and dropped the gloves for a big third-period fight against Dakota Mermis in his NHL debut. He and bruising defenceman Arber Xhekaj became the 14th pair of brothers to play in the same game for the Canadiens, and the latest since Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn in 2010.

Leafs: Another injury for Toronto. Defenceman Jake McCabe exited midway through the second period after Demidov’s attempted pass rode up his stick and hit him in the face.

KEY MOMENT

The Bell Centre crowd began belting out “Olé, Olé” chants with more than 25 minutes still to play after Anderson put the Canadiens ahead by four goals.

KEY STAT

In a dismal second period, the Leafs recorded zero shots for a stretch of 10:59 (from 16:48 to 5:49). The Canadiens registered 10 shots over the same time frame.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Open a three-game road trip Wednesday against the Utah Mammoth.

Leafs: Visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

By Daniel Rainbird

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2025.