Marner scores only goal as Maple Leafs blank Canadiens in OT

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Mitch Marner is the overtime hero of Maple Leaf on Saturday night.

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Marner scored in 36 seconds in an extra period against the Montreal Canadaens, giving the Leafs a 1-0 victory at Scotiabank Arena.

Just before Marner scored a low goal on Jakub Dobes, Leaf goalkeeper Anthony Stolarz stopped Canada’s captain Nick Suzuki, who broke into the defensive end and broke out from his forehand.

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The Leafs have 10-0-0 against Montreal in the last 10 home games, their longest active family streak against any team.

Stolarz saved 15 times to close.

The victory allowed Leaves to win at least the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. They had 102 points, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers had 4 points.

Leafs have three games left in Tampa on Sunday night against the Hurricanes. Florida has two more games left.

With injuries to Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jake McCabe and Leaf uses only five defensemen, Marner makes some defensive turnarounds. Marner paired these shifts with Brandon Carlo and was on the blue line in the offensive area.

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The Canadians’ 15 goals against goals is the least of the leaves in 2024-25. The low against Vancouver on January 11 was 18 years old.

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Leaf played Pepper in several power matches in the third inning, but nothing to show for them. Marner slipped away in disbelief after looking at an open net, but he could not go missing after the shooting.

Max Domi defended John Tavares in the second phase after Tavares was attacked on ice by Canadians Defensman Kaiden Guhle. Domi made a decision against Guhle in a battle but was evaluated as an additional minor for similar behavior in non-areas.

Leafs played a powerful game midway through the second time, kicking six shots on Dobes but couldn’t score. Marner’s best chance was that he opened in the slot but drove the puck online.

The Leafs outperformed the Canadiens in 21-7 to two periods as they gave visitors to five-fifths of visitors. Montreal scored only five goals in five to 40 minutes.

Strars must be sharp on several occasions, though. The mat saved on the second Suzuki stands out.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @ @koshtorontosun

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