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MONTREAL—There were a lot of firsts for the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night: first game for new coach Craig Berube, first game with Auston Matthews as captain, and first game with the Leafs for players like Max Pacioretty and goalie Anthony Stolarz.
But there was one “first” they could have lived without: The Leafs were shut out for the first time since Nov. 20, 2021.
Despite throwing 48 shots at goalie Sam Montembeault, the Leafs high-octane offence came up empty, leaving Cole Caufield’s first-period power-play marker as the lone goal in Montreal’s 1-0 win.
The Leafs run of 252 games with at least a goal, playoffs included, is over. It was the third-longest streak in team history
“We did enough to score, and put ourselves in a better position, but the puck didn’t go in,” Matthews said. “There was a lot of good things we can take away from the game. It’s Game 1. You’d like to get off to a miraculous start, and win the first game, but there were things we can build on.”
The Maple Leafs and Canadiens opened each other’s season for the fifth straight year, and met for the 769th time in regular-season history.
“It’s always very exciting, especially starting here,” said Leaf defenceman Morgan Rielly, the team’s longest-serving player, starting his 12th season. “For some reason, it’s always a lot of fun.”
It was more fun for the Canadiens and their fans. It was the 367th time Montreal has beaten the Leafs. That stands against 301 losses, 88 ties, and 13 overtime/shootout losses.
There was evidence of how Berube wants this team to play: a heavy forecheck, more straightforward, with fewer cross-rink plays. It was far from perfect, but it was there. The likes of Ryan Reaves, Steven Lorentz and Matthew Knies were finishing checks.
“A lot of shots, but I thought the execution was off,” Berube said. “Whether it was a shot, or a pass, it just wasn’t clean enough.
“A lot of good stuff. When you almost get 50 shots on net and you don’t get a goal, thier goalie played good.”
The first power-play unit had a shorter leash than they were used to. Sheldon Keefe used to leave them out there for at least 90 seconds of a two-minute power play. Berube kept them to just over a minute. And of course, the Leafs took too many penalties, five in all, many of the needless variety.
“We’ve got to be better,” Berube said.
Both teams seemed amped up for the first game, aided by a crazed Bell Centre and a city that was ready for hockey with les tricolores spotted on the streets all over town.
It helped that no one does an opening ceremony quite like the Canadiens, whose players were greeted by an 18-piece orchestra and a four-piece rock band playing Coldplay’s “Fix You” as they skated through a smoke machine. The loudest cheer was for injured star Patrik Laine, who seemed genuinely touched by the outpouring.
When the puck finally dropped, it led to a shot-filled first period that became a special-teams battle. The Leafs managed 17 shots on Montembeault but got nothing past him despite two power plays. Montreal emerged with the lead thanks to Caufield’s goal with the man advantage.
The Leafs continued to give their revamped penalty-killing units a workout by taking three straight penalties in the second period, including one minute and 34 seconds of 5-on-3 time for the Canadiens.
Montreal didn’t score on any of those opportunities in a scoreless second period. Despite being down a man for as much as they were, the Leafs outshot Montreal 14-6 in the second frame, but again couldn’t buy a goal.
In addition to it being Berube’s first game behind the bench, five players made their Leafs debut: Stolarz, Pacioretty, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Steven Lorentz and Chris Tanev.
Pacioretty, a former Canadiens captain, drew the most boos from the crowd whenever he touched the puck.
“I was expecting a little bit,” said Pacioretty, who had two shots in over 13 minutes of ice time. “It’s all in good fun.”
It wasn’t Pacioretty’s first trip to the visitor’s room at the Bell Centre. He had played his former team five times since being traded to Vegas, with a goal and two assists.
But it was his first appearance in blue and white, just the third time in history that a man who had captained the Canadiens returned while playing with the Leafs. George Hainsworth did it in 1933-34 and Kirk Muller in 1995-96.
“I don’t think too much about that,” Pacioretty said. “I’m just grateful to be here. I know it’s a big storyline. I have a lot of friends here, folks who work in the building. But I’m at the stage in my career where I want to take every day as a blessing.”
Lorentz also played his first game with the Leafs but admitted he watched the Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony Tuesday night.
“It’s different. I’m happy for them,” said Lorentz, whose attention switched to the Cup ring he will get one day. “They look pretty sick. I’m not sure when we get ours, but I’m definitely excited for that.”
Stolarz and Ekman-Larsson also joined the Leafs from Florida.
The Leafs hit their first bump in the road before the game even began. Stolarz was the surprise starter when Joseph Woll experienced some lower-body tightness. The Leafs called up Dennis Hildeby to back up Stolarz while Woll, whose career has been pockmarked by injury, was placed on the injured list.
“I felt good in there and the guys did a good job in front of me,” said Stolarz, who faced 27 shots. “I had a little bounce in my step with it being the opener. It was exciting.”