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Canadiens Halt Slide With 5-2 Win Over Maple Leafs, Dobson and Anderson Score Twice

Florian Xhekaj's impactful debut punctuated a night that exposed Toronto's fragile form.

Overview

  • Lane Hutson opened the scoring and Montreal built a 4-0 lead before closing out a rivalry win that ended a five-game losing streak.
  • Jakub Dobes stopped 24 of 26 shots for his first victory since Oct. 28, steadying a goaltending group that had struggled through November.
  • Joseph Woll allowed four goals on 25 shots and was replaced at 13:11 of the second period by Dennis Hildeby as Toronto's skid reached seven losses in eight games.
  • Rookie call-up Florian Xhekaj recorded an assist on Josh Anderson’s first goal and later fought Dakota Mermis in the third period, sharing the ice with brother Arber in his NHL debut.
  • Already missing Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, Toronto also lost defenseman Jake McCabe to a facial injury during the second period as it opened a six-game road trip with a defeat.