Patrik Laine, Martin St. Louis, and the Montreal Canadiens started the 2025-26 NHL season on the wrong foot. After falling 5-2 to the Auston Matthews-led Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening game, the Habs are taking a look on the mirror.
Losing on opening night is far from the end of the world for Laine and the Canadiens. Still, losing to Matthews and the Leafs will never be taken lightly by the Habs. There’s a reason the bad blood between Toronto and Montreal makes for one of the biggest rivalries in the NHL. Every meeting between the two Original Six franchises is a battle of its own, with neither team looking to walk away defeated.
However, St. Louis knows his team can’t win them all—though wouldn’t that feel nice? After falling to the Buds 5-2 in their visit to Toronto, St. Louis delivered a sincere message for Laine and company, admitting the coaching staff may have cost them the outing.
“I felt we spent a lot of time in the offensive zone tonight,” Martin St. Louis said, per NHL.com. “I think we could have had more of a shooting mentality a little more, but we have been so focused on the defensive side of things throughout camp.“
Out-shot
Though the Canadiens finished the night with 31 shots on goal against Toronto’s 27, St. Louis’ statement might hint at the lack of chances created in the third period. In crunch-time, when the Habs needed to step on the pedal the most. Matthews and the Leafs managed to neutralize them, limiting their rivals to just 6 SOG in the final frame.
“We have started diving in on the offensive side of things, but I think we have to have more of a shooting mentality. But overall I liked what I saw. We had good intentions.”
No need to say it twice
For Laine, there’s no need to tell him twice to shoot the puck more. The Finnish sniper can become an ace up the sleeve for the Habs. However, playing on the wing and excelling at slap shots, Laine needs some help for his shooting numbers to go up during his contract year in the NHL.
During the Maple Leafs game, Laine recorded just one shot on goal. Fans in the City of Saints can expect the Habs to get him more involved moving forward. When he operates from his office, good things tend to happen for Montreal.
SURVEY What position group concerns you the most in Montreal after the loss to Toronto?
What position group concerns you the most in Montreal after the loss to Toronto?
already voted 12 fans
Another concerning stat for St. Louis and the Canadiens lies in the faceoff dot. Montreal didn’t have a single player win over 33% of their offensive-zone draws. By contrast, all Leafs operated at 38% or higher in the circle. Winning possession off the draw might be overlooked, but it also has a major impact on shot totals.