In what may have been the most anticipated home and season opener in recent memory, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Tuesday night. William Nylander found the back of the net twice, and Sergei Bobrovsky looked solid, stopping 21 of 24 shots.
This game had a little bit of everything. The big boys showed flash and potential, and Bobrovsky looked calm and steady. The power play and defense both looked decent at times, but more often than not, they both looked disjointed. Yet, despite some sloppy play from the Leafs, they were in it, and it was Canadiens' netminder Jakub Dobes who saved the game on some great looks.
Even though it's just game one, there's still a lot to take away, so let's dive in.
New-look Maple Leafs will need time to build chemistry
General manager John Chayka and the Maple Leafs had an insanely busy start and end to a summer that saw just four forwards return from last season's squad. As excited as we can get, and should get, by some of the additions, that's a ton of turnover. In total, 10 new players laced up for Toronto on Tuesday night, and it showed.
First, though, let's dwell on the positives. Kirill Marchenko, a little more than 24 hours after joining the club, made an immediate impact with an assist on Nylander's first goal just 48 seconds into the contest. He was turned away on multiple one-timers and showed off his speed and puck control frequently throughout the night. There is no doubt that he and Auston Matthews are going to be exciting to watch as the season rolls on.
THAT WAS WILLY QUICK! 😎 pic.twitter.com/0zP9Q1J85C
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) September 29, 2026
You could see the potential that this lineup possesses, specifically, the top two lines. However, one game is all we needed to see to know that it is going to take time. Whether it was sloppy breakouts, passes in skates, or giving up opportunities in front of Dobes with one too many passes, the lack of familiarity was evident.
It also should be noted that free-agent darling Darren Raddysh had a forgetable debut. He was involved in Montreal's first two goals, and didn't do much to make up for it. Personally, I'm not worried. Yet. But it's something to keep an eye on, no doubt.
Nylander will do what Nylander does
There were, and are, many questions when it comes to this roster. Will Matthews stay healthy? Can Bobrovsky wash off the stink of last season and return to his Hall-of-Fame self? Can Morgan Rielly bounce back? Just to name a few.
One thing we know: Nylander will do Nylander things, no matter how this season goes for the Maple Leafs.
The 30-year-old Swede has scored 30-plus goals in each of the last five seasons, and 40-plus three times in that span. His 30 goals last season came in only 65 games. Additionally, his 79 points in 2025-26 were the only time he didn't hit 80 since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign.
It took Willy just 48 seconds to enter the goal column in 2026-27. His second of the night came at 15:46 of the third period to make it a one-goal game.
With all of the unknowns, at least we don't have to doubt that Nylander will continue to do his thing.
Bobrovsky exudes confidence in Toronto debut
This takeaway is going to be short since I am the furthest thing away from a goalie guru. I was high on this signing back on July 1, and from what I saw from Bobrovsky, Tuesday night was an encouraging one.
Welcome to Toronto, Sergei Bobrovsky 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/VqEfVZtNK6
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 24, 2026
The two-time Stanley Cup champion looked calm and collected between the pipes, especially in situations where the defense hung him out to dry. Is he going to be the Bobrovsky of old? I don't know, but considering this is his 17th season and he just turned 38, it makes sense that he won't be. But if the Leafs can clean up the play in front of him, and dial in that offense potential we talked about earlier, he will be exactly what they need him to be.
Maple Leafs benefit from a quick turnaround
What this roster needs is to play, and play a lot. Yes, practice is necessary and will, of course, be helpful. But the more this team can iron out the kinks in real-time situations, the better.
They don't have to wait long, as the Maple Leafs will host the New York Islanders at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night.
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