Canadiens claim 2-1 win over Maple Leafs
MONTREAL -- Shea Weber and Alex Radulov each had two assists to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
Carey Price made 31 saves for Montreal (14-3-2). Frederik Anderson stopped 27 shots for the Maple Leafs.
Paul Byron and Alex Galchenyuk scored for the Canadiens and William Nylander replied for the Maple Leafs (8-7-3).
Byron pulled into a share of the Canadiens' team lead in goals with his seventh of the season at 15:45 of the first period. Alexander Radulov took a hit as he dished off to Weber at the blue line. Weber fired a blast and Byron was in front to poke home the rebound.
The Canadiens wasted little time as the second period started to double their lead. Montreal drew a penalty just 27 seconds into the period and five seconds later Radulov fed Galchenyuk in the left circle for the one-timer.
The physicality picked up along the way, with the Leafs and Canadiens exchanging hits in a matter of minutes, including a Weber hit along the boards on Nylander that got the crowd roaring.
The power play helped the Maple Leafs get on the board at 8:47. Auston Matthews found Komarov on the left side of the crease and Komarov quickly sent a cross-ice feed to Nylander, who made no mistake tapping it home from the bottom of the right circle. It snapped an 0-of-8 drought for Toronto with the man-advantage.
Nylander nearly had his second goal of the night in the third period, but Price denied the Maple Leafs rookie. Toronto had another chance shortly thereafter when Price thought he made the save, but the puck squeaked through and was quickly cleared by a Montreal player.
NOTES: Montreal LW Max Pacioretty played his 500th NHL game. ... Canadiens RW Alexander Radulov returned after missing the last two games with illness while D Joel Hanley drew in after sitting two games as a healthy scratch. ... Montreal scratched LW Daniel Carr and D Greg Pateryn. ... The Maple Leafs scratched C Peter Holland, D Martin Marincin and D Frank Corrado. ... The game was Toronto's second and final visit to Montreal this season. ... It was the 734th all-time meeting between the two historic rivals. ... Montreal closed out its fourth of 15 sets of back-to-back games this season and its third in as many weekends.