Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 1
TORONTO -- Alex Galchenyuk scored with about eight minutes left in the game and the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Wednesday in the season opener for both teams.
Galchenyuk, a center, shot home a rebound from the slot after a shot by defenseman Andrei Markov at 12:02 to break a 1-1 tie. The Maple Leafs had a chance to clear the rebound but failed, leaving it for Galchenyuk.
Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban picked up his second assist of the game on the goal.
Left winger Max Pacioretty scored two goals for the Canadiens, notching a first-period goal and a third-period marker into an empty net in the final minute.
Left winger James van Riemsdyk scored for the Maple Leafs in the opening seconds of the second period to tie the game.
It was the first game as coach of the Maple Leafs for Mike Babcock, the former Detroit Red Wings coach.
Goaltender Carey Price made 36 saves in the Montreal goal while Maple Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier made 27 saves.
Montreal opened the scoring at 3:09 of the first period on a goal by Pacioretty, whose shot bounced off Bernier's right shoulder before trickling over the line. Subban picked up his first assist of the game.
Van Riemsdyk was stationed in the slot when he deflected a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle by center Nazem Kadri to tie the game at 19 seconds of the second period.
The power-play goal came six seconds after Montreal right winger Brendan Gallagher was penalized for goaltender interference. Defenseman Dion Phaneuf also earned an assist on the goal.
Montreal had a goal nullified nearly seven minutes into the second for incidental contact with the goaltender. The review was the result of a Maple Leafs challenge.
NOTES: The Maple Leafs were playing their opening game against the Canadiens for the seventh straight season. They are 4-2-1 in those games. ...The Canadiens claimed LW Paul Byron off waivers from the Calgary Flames on Tuesday and assigned LW/C Jacob De La Rose to Hamilton of the American Hockey League. Byron did not play Wednesday. ... The Maple Leafs claimed D Frank Corrado off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday and assigned LW Richard Panik to the Marlies of the AHL. D Scott Harrington, acquired from Pittsburgh in the Phil Kessel trade this summer, was recalled from the Marlies. Corrado did not play Wednesday. ... The Habs play their next three games on the road starting Saturday against the Bruins in Boston. ... The Maple Leafs visit the Detroit Red Wings on Friday for their next game.