The Canadiens lose 2-1 to the Maple Leafs, with Laine and Reinbacher injured

Canadiens forward Patrik Laine (92) lies on the ice during the first period of a warm-up game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Montreal, Que. (The Canadian Press/Evan Buhler)

The Montreal Canadiens had a tough night at the Bell Centre on Saturday. Defenceman David Reinbacher and striker Patrik Laine both sustained injuries that don't look promising in a 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The organization has not provided a medical update for either player, with head coach Martin St-Louis stating that they will undergo tests.

Defenceman Arber Xhekaj was also ejected from the game after coming to Laine's defence, leaving St-Louis's lineup down three players after just five minutes of the first period.

The head coach had to juggle his lineup, giving Lane Hutson and Logan Mailloux all the ice time they needed to make their mark.

"The first period was emotional," admitted St-Louis. "It wasn't easy to manage. Your bench is really small. You don't want to overtax the players, but you almost have no choice. I liked how we stuck together, I liked how we fought."

Hutson once again stood out with several inspired plays, both on the power play and at even strength. While he wowed the fans with his passes, Mailloux got a few good chances with his powerful shot and broke up several Maple Leafs plays in the defensive zone.

"Lane wants the puck on his stick. He wants to make a difference,' said St-Louis. "I like those situations. The guys are trying. It didn't work, but it came close. We didn't just kill time. We fought right to the end to try and get the win."

Kirby Dach scored the Habs' only goal with less than two minutes to play. Samuel Montembeault stopped 11 of the 12 pucks he faced before being replaced by Cayden Primeau, who made nine saves.

Unlike Thursday, when a number of the organization's key players were in uniform in Toronto, the Maple Leafs gave plenty of room to the youngsters for this duel in Montreal. Matthew Knies, Nick Robertson and Simon Benoit were the most experienced players.

Robertson scored both goals for the visitors. Dennis Hildeby played the entire match in net for the Maple Leafs, saving 27 shots.

The Canadiens' prospects will have two more chances to showcase their skills before the start of the regular season, both against the Ottawa Senators. The next game is on Tuesday at the Bell Centre, and the preseason schedule will wrap up next Saturday at the Canadian Tire Centre.

Additionally, the Habs announced a first wave of cuts after the game. Some 27 players were assigned to the Laval Rocket, whose camp starts on Tuesday. Owen Beck, Sean Farrell and Jared Davidson, who were in uniform on Saturday, are among them.

Injuries

The opening minutes of the game were brutal for the Canadiens. Shortly after the initial face-off, Reinbacher was injured after a bad fall following a body check. He headed to the locker room and did not return to the game.

Later, during a power play, Laine took a knee-to-knee hit from Cédric Paré and stayed down in obvious pain. He, too, left the game.

"Nobody wants that to happen, especially in preseason,' said captain Nick Suzuki. 'I feel for the guys. I spoke to them after the first period, but I don't have too much information."

"It's a hit you don't want to see," added David Savard. "It's never fun to see replays. They're flat shots to watch."

Xhekaj avenged his teammate by going after Paré, pummelling him with punches. He received 27 minutes in penalty and was ejected from the game. The Maple Leafs scored on the ensuing seven-minute power play, with Robertson beating Montembeault under the pad.

Forward Lucas Condotta took a few shifts on defence to give the Habs' four defencemen a bit of rest.

In the second period, Juraj Slafkovsky dropped the gloves with Quebec defenceman Marshall Rifai. Slafkovsky briefly visited the medical room afterwards. Josh Anderson followed suit with a fight against Philippe Myers.

Robertson doubled the Maple Leafs' lead by beating Primeau between the pads in the third period.

Dach closed the gap with a goal while Primeau was on the bench, but the Canadiens were unable to create a tie.

The Canadians failed to score on seven power-play opportunities. The team is still looking for its first power-play goal of the preseason.

Asked about his priorities for the rest of the camp, St-Louis didn't beat around the bush: "It's definitely going to be the power play." 

-This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 28, 2024.