The Canadiens snapped their five-game shedding streak in fashion with a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Hockey Evening in Canada on the Bell Centre.
Florian Xhekaj made his NHL debut and was impactful alongside with older brother Arber. As a pair they collected seven hits, whereas Florian dropped the gloves with Dakota Mermis within the third interval. In case you got here in search of the combat, right here it’s:
Florian Xhekaj and Dakota Mermis went full Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots for that scrap 🤖🥊 pic.twitter.com/vThc3XMyes
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 23, 2025
Florian was a purpose away from a Gordie Howe hat trick: he tallied an help to associate with seven penalty minutes in 9:48 of ice-time. He additionally had a success in his first shift.
Florian Xhekaj losing no time getting bodily in his NHL debut 💪 pic.twitter.com/vrB8FREqZ7
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 23, 2025
The goaltending carousel has been particularly risky of late, however Jakub Dobes was a comparatively calming presence between the pipes with a much-needed 24-save efficiency.
A number of the same old suspects contributed on offence within the early going. Lane Hutson scored the primary purpose at 12:11 of the primary, assisted by Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
Lane Hutson opens the scoring in Montreal 🙌 pic.twitter.com/uAuvVEn8QP
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 23, 2025
The defence contributed on offence just one:22 later with Noah Dobson scoring his second of the season. Mike Matheson and Ivan Demidov drew assists. It was 2-0 after the primary interval.
1:22 later, Noah Dobson makes it 2-0 Habs! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/qeQibPYEgo
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 23, 2025
At 4:09 of the second interval, Dobson lit the lamp once more to make it 3-0. Demidov received his second help of the night time and Juraj Slafkovsky received his lone level on what was a comeback efficiency for him following Thursday’s drubbing vs. the Capitals.
NOAH DOBSON DOUBLES DOWN 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/mTPIZ1UWgX
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 23, 2025
Nonetheless within the second interval, Xhekaj received his first profession level establishing Josh Anderson’s fourth of the season. Anderson snuck a shot simply above Joseph Woll’s shoulder. That was the top of Woll’s night time, but it surely was a mercy pull from Leafs coach Craig Berube. Not his fault the Habs outshot the Leafs 17-6 within the second interval.
Josh Anderson goes quick aspect as Florian Xhekaj picks up his first profession level in his NHL debut 🙌 pic.twitter.com/tF7MLWFRMc
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 23, 2025
Alternative goalie Dennis Hildeby solely noticed three photographs the remainder of the way in which, and the Canadiens allowed the Leafs to get inside placing distance. Oliver Ekman-Larsson ended Dobes’ shutout bid with 2:41 left within the second to make it 4-1. Dobes tried to push John Tavares from round his crease, and it would’ve been his undoing.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson provides the Leafs some life 🚨 pic.twitter.com/fbQtVsrjFf
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 23, 2025
The Leafs pulled to inside two objectives with simply over 5 minutes left within the third interval. William Nylander scored his tenth of the season on the facility play with site visitors in entrance to make the Bell Centre trustworthy sweat a bit of extra.
Willy Types brings the Buds inside two in Montreal 🍿 pic.twitter.com/KiBHYY5WLz
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 23, 2025
Anderson scored his second in an empty internet to safe the 5-2 win for the Habs. That wasn’t the top of the night time, although, as Arber and Dakota Joshua received right into a skirmish as time expired.
Dakota Joshua and Arber Xhekaj get into it because the Canadiens choose up the win over the Maple Leafs 👊 pic.twitter.com/1LeZ9JPz2h
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 23, 2025
The Leafs had been with out various regulars, together with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, however after shedding seven of their earlier eight, the Canadiens will take any win they’ll get. This victory was particularly necessary contemplating they’ve received a painful trio of video games arising on U.S. Thanksgiving week out west in Utah, Vegas and Colorado.
Hopefully, the jolt of getting a second Xhekaj within the lineup will carry over in opposition to these troublesome Western Convention opponents. With each goalies struggling to search out their footing in the mean time, coach Martin St Louis must heed the recommendation of the Liveblog commenters and trip Dobes till he provides the membership a motive to return to the floundering Samuel Montembeault.
That being stated, the Habs are off till Wednesday, so the vibes may very well be utterly completely different subsequent sport day. There is also a brand new participant within the lineup: through the second intermission on Hockey Evening in Canada, insider Elliotte Friedman stated Montreal may very well be in working to signal ahead Alexandre Texier from the St. Louis Blues. A uncommon French (from France) participant within the league, Texier might present some further offence and permit Jared Davidson to return to Laval, the place he’s higher suited.
Florian can keep, although, based mostly on his impression card from Hockey Stat Playing cards:
NHL GameScore Impression Card for Montreal Canadiens on 2025-11-22: pic.twitter.com/L7q9NVigrK
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) November 23, 2025
And right here’s what the Liveblog commenters on the
Hockey Inside Out YouTube channel
needed to say in regards to the Canadiens lastly breaking their droop:
