Wednesday, January 13, 2021 07:00 PM (ET)

Leafs open with OT win over Canadiens

Field Level Media
Jan 13, 2021

Morgan Rielly scored at 3:24 of overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Montreal Canadiens 5-4 on Wednesday night in the season opener.

Montreal's Phillip Danault missed on a breakaway during the overtime, and then Rielly converted a pass from John Tavares on a two-on-one for the game-winner.

William Nylander scored two goals and had an assist for the Maple Leafs. Tavares finished with a goal and two assists, and Jimmy Vesey scored the team's other goal.

Josh Anderson scored twice for Montreal. Nick Suzuki and Tomas Tatar also scored, and Jonathan Drouin notched three assists while Jeff Petry had two for the Habs.

Carey Price made 29 saves for Montreal.

Frederik Andersen stopped 28 shots and also picked up an assist on Toronto's third goal.

Montreal led 2-1 after the first period, starting when Suzuki scored from a sharp angle at 12:49 on a power play after Petry's point shot hit the post. The Maple Leafs were serving a penalty for too many men on the ice.

Nylander tied the score at 15:56 on a long slap shot through a screen on a return pass from Justin Holl.

Anderson restored Montreal's lead at 19:36 on a wrist shot from the right circle on Drouin's feed from the corner.

The Canadiens led 3-1 extended their lead at 7:20 of the second period on Tatar's breakaway goal during a power play. Alexander Romanov got his first career NHL assist with the pass that sprung Tatar. Zach Bogosian was serving a holding penalty.

Toronto tied the game with two power-play goals late in the second period. Nylander scored with two minutes left on a shot from the left circle. Anderson was serving a boarding penalty.

Then, Tavares tipped in a shot from the left circle by Mitch Marner at 19:21 with Toronto on a five-on-three advantage. Suzuki was serving a holding penalty and Weber was off for delay of game.

Anderson gave Montreal a 4-3 lead at 1:03 of the third period after a rush down the left wing, and Vesey tied the game at 10:33 on a 19-foot wrist shot.

--Field Level Media

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