# Newhook and Fowler Lead Montreal Canadiens to 4-2 Victory Over Toronto Alex Newhook scored twice while goaltender Jacob Fowler secured 26 saves to defeat Toronto. - **Source:** [Le Devoir](https://www.ledevoir.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-08 - **Topic:** [sports](https://brifing.si/c/sports) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/6aaccdd7-3217-4c7c-9108-b4aa249145f7 ## Montreal Secures Crucial Win The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena. Alex Newhook netted two goals, while goaltender Jacob Fowler recorded 26 saves to maintain the lead. This victory improves Montreal's season record to 11-3-3, continuing their strong momentum by winning seven of their last eight games. ## Early Offensive Dominance Newhook opened the scoring at 5:56 of the first period after a lucky deflection off Toronto defenders. He added a second goal at 13:06 by tipping a point shot from Kaiden Guhle. These early strikes established a 2-0 lead, putting significant pressure on Toronto goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky from the start. ## Breakaway Extends the Lead Chris Kreider extended Montreal's advantage to 3-0 in the second period. He intercepted a pass from Toronto rookie Gavin McKenna at the blue line and beat Bobrovsky with a shot past his blocker. Following this defensive error, McKenna was benched by the coaching staff for the remainder of the second period. ## Toronto's Late Third-Period Rally The Maple Leafs attempted a comeback in the third period. William Nylander scored on a power play at 6:19, followed by a goal from Gavin McKenna just 55 seconds later. These quick strikes reduced the deficit to 3-2, forcing the Canadiens to defend their narrow lead under intense pressure from Toronto. ## Bolduc Seals the Victory Zachary Bolduc effectively ended Toronto's momentum by scoring on a power play at 12:15 of the third period. This goal restored a two-goal cushion for Montreal. The conversion was notable as the Canadiens entered the game with the NHL's 30th-ranked power play, operating at a low 14 percent success rate. ## Defensive Resilience Under Pressure Montreal faced a late challenge when Juraj Slafkovsky received a double-minor penalty for high-sticking with 3:33 remaining. Despite the disadvantage, Fowler and the penalty-killing unit successfully held the fort. Even after two Canadiens players broke their sticks during the sequence, Toronto failed to capitalize on the opportunity to score again. ## Roster Changes and Injuries John Tavares returned to the Maple Leafs lineup after missing nine games due to a lower-body injury. Conversely, Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly exited the game after the first period with a lower-body injury. For Montreal, Josh Anderson was absent for personal reasons, with Owen Beck stepping in to fill his roster spot. ## Context of Goaltending Performance Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 24 shots for Toronto, but has now allowed three or more goals in 10 of his 11 starts this season. Meanwhile, Fowler’s performance was highlighted by a key save against Auston Matthews. The Canadiens now prepare to host the Minnesota Wild at the Bell Centre this coming Tuesday. ## Sources covering this story - [Source — Newhook and Fowler Lead Canadiens to Victory Over Maple Leafs](https://globalnews.ca/news/12141495/newhook-fowler-lead-canadiens-over-maple-leafs/) - [Le Devoir — Alex Newhook Leads Canadiens to Victory Over Maple Leafs](https://www.ledevoir.com/sports/1023257/alex-newhook-inscrit-deux-buts-canadien-defait-maple-leafs) - [CityNews Toronto — Canadiens Defeat Maple Leafs 4-2 Behind Newhook's Two Goals](https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/11/07/newhook-scores-twice-fowler-makes-26-saves-as-canadiens-defeat-maple-leafs/) --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._