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Maple Leafs Secure Preseason Win Despite Nylander’s Injury

TORONTO – In a tightly contested preseason matchup, the Toronto Maple Leafs managed to edge out the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Thursday night, with star forward William Nylander leaving the game due to an injury.

Goals from John Tavares and Nick Robertson propelled the Maple Leafs to victory, while Christian Dvorak found the net for the Canadiens. Toronto displayed an impressive offensive front, outshooting Montreal 33-17 throughout the game.

Nylander’s troubles began midway through the first period when he was tripped in the neutral zone. As he fell, a passing Montreal player inadvertently struck him in the head. The 27-year-old was immediately taken to the dressing room, with the team opting to keep him out for “precautionary reasons.”

Tavares opened the scoring for Toronto at 10:03 in the first period, redirecting a precise pass from Mitch Marner into the net. This marked Tavares’ fourth point in just two preseason games, underscoring his early-season prowess.

Montreal’s Response

Montreal responded in the second period when Dvorak equalized at 5:39. After receiving a sharp pass from Alexandre Barre-Boulet at the blue line, Dvorak fended off Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly before slipping the puck between goalie Anthony Stolarz’s legs.

Robertson, who had two breakaway chances that were thwarted by Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes, ultimately secured the game-winning goal at 18:04. He capitalized on a turnover, stealing the puck from Montreal’s Adam Engstrom, drawing a penalty, and scoring with a shot that went past Dobes.

In goal for Toronto, Matt Murray made his return after a lengthy absence due to a hip injury sustained on April 4, 2023. He took over for Stolarz in the third period and successfully stopped all seven shots he faced. Stolarz recorded nine saves, while Dobes had a total of 32 saves for Montreal.

Looking ahead, the Maple Leafs and Canadiens are set to clash again on Saturday in Montreal, as both teams continue to prepare for the upcoming season.

Source
globalnews.ca