Alex Newhook scored twice on Saturday night as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 in Montreal, holding off a late Toronto rally to win for the seventh time in eight games. Newhook's two goals led the way, Chris Kreider added his third goal as a Canadien, and goaltender Jacob Fowler made 26 saves to earn his eighth win of the season. Toronto cut a 3-0 deficit to 3-2 in under a minute of the third period, but Zachary Bolduc answered with a power-play goal five minutes later and Montreal closed the game out.

Key Points

• Alex Newhook scored two goals as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Montreal.
• Chris Kreider scored his third goal as a Canadien, and Zachary Bolduc added a power-play goal that restored Montreal's two-goal lead.
• Toronto trailed 3-0 after two periods before William Nylander and Gavin McKenna scored in a 55-second span to make it 3-2 with 12:46 left.
• Jacob Fowler made 26 saves for his eighth win of the season and improved to 8-1-1, as Montreal won for the seventh time in eight games.
• Toronto's Sergei Bobrovsky made 24 saves and has now allowed three goals or more in 11 of his 12 starts this season.

What Happened

Montreal controlled the first two periods. The Canadiens built a 3-0 lead through 40 minutes, with Newhook scoring twice and Kreider adding his third goal since joining Montreal, while Toronto, one of the league's most talented attacking teams, was kept to the outside for most of the night and could not find a way through Fowler.

Then, in the space of 55 seconds, the game changed. Nylander scored, McKenna followed almost immediately, and with 12:46 still left in regulation the score was suddenly 3-2. Toronto had all the momentum, and a team that had looked beaten minutes earlier was one shot away from tying the game. But the Canadiens answered the way good teams do: five minutes after Toronto's second goal, Bolduc scored on the power play to make it 4-2, and Montreal defended the lead from there as Fowler held firm.

Background: A Canadiens Team Finding Its Form

This win continued a strong run for Montreal, which has now won seven of its past eight games. The Canadiens have been one of the NHL's form teams over that stretch, and Saturday's result was the latest example of a side winning in different ways — sometimes by scoring freely, sometimes, as here, by defending a lead when the pressure comes.

The one blemish in the recent run is still fresh. On Tuesday, November 3, Montreal led the Winnipeg Jets 4-0 at the Bell Centre after Cole Caufield scored twice, and Fowler had stopped the first 37 shots he faced, before the Jets scored four goals in the final 2:39 and won 5-4 in overtime. The Jets stunned the Canadiens 5-4 in overtime after scoring four goals in the final 2:39. Saturday's game was a chance to show that lesson had been learned — and this time, the lead held.

Newhook's Two Goals Power Canadiens Past Maple Leafs 4-2

Newhook was the difference on the night. His two goals gave Montreal its platform, and they came when the Canadiens needed them most, building the lead Toronto spent the rest of the game chasing. It was the kind of performance that shows why Montreal values him: not just the finishing, but the energy and the timing.

Kreider's goal mattered too. His third as a Canadien since joining the club, it underlined how quickly he has settled in and how much depth Montreal now has in attack. When the goals are spread across the lineup like this — Newhook twice, Kreider once, Bolduc on the power play — opponents cannot simply shut down one line and wait for the offence to dry up. And Fowler, now 8-1-1, steadied the game after Toronto's two quick goals, the kind of night that builds a team's trust in its goaltender.

Reactions

For Montreal, this was a win that will mean more than two points. The Canadiens have now won seven of eight, but the manner of this one — a 3-0 lead, a sudden 3-2 scare, and a composed finish — is the kind of experience that shapes a season. For Toronto, the frustration will be familiar: the Leafs showed, in that 55-second burst from Nylander and McKenna, that they can score against anyone in a hurry, but they spent two periods chasing a game they had already lost, and the goals-against numbers behind Bobrovsky remain the story of their season.

Why It Matters

The result matters because of where both teams are heading. Montreal's run of seven wins in eight games has turned the Canadiens into one of the teams to watch in the Eastern Conference, and a win over a rival like Toronto — in a game that briefly threatened to slip away — strengthens the belief inside that dressing room. The Canadiens are not just winning; they are learning how to win.

It matters for Toronto in the opposite way. The Leafs have the firepower to beat anyone, but a team that concedes three or more goals in 11 of 12 starts is asking its attack to be perfect every night. That is not sustainable. The game also underlined a wider truth about this NHL season: the margins are thin, and momentum can swing in under a minute.

What Happens Next

Montreal will look to keep the run going, with seven wins in eight games giving the Canadiens a platform to build on. Fowler's 8-1-1 record and the spread of scoring suggest a team with depth and confidence in goal, two things that travel well on the road as well as at home.

Toronto faces a more urgent task: tightening up defensively before the goals-against trend defines its season. The attack is not the issue, but the Leafs need more nights where they do not have to chase from 3-0 down, and the next game is a chance to reset with a cleaner start in front of Bobrovsky.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score between the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs?
Montreal beat Toronto 4-2 on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Alex Newhook scored twice, Chris Kreider scored his third goal as a Canadien, and Zachary Bolduc added a power-play goal.

Who scored for Toronto?
William Nylander and Gavin McKenna scored in a 55-second span in the third period to cut Montreal's lead from 3-0 to 3-2 with 12:46 left in regulation.

How did Jacob Fowler play?
Fowler made 26 saves for his eighth win of the season and improved to 8-1-1. He held firm after Toronto's two quick third-period goals to preserve the win.

How many games have the Canadiens won recently?
Montreal has won seven of its past eight games. The only defeat was the 5-4 overtime loss to Winnipeg on November 3, when the Jets erased a 4-0 deficit.

What is the concern for Toronto?
Sergei Bobrovsky has now allowed three goals or more in 11 of his 12 starts this season, despite 24 saves on Saturday.