Gavin McKenna Maple Leafs giveaways against Canadiens, Digi Mart USA News (Toronto): Montreal’s Alex Newhook was the only player laughing after a comedy of errors at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. The Canadiens edged the Maple Leafs 4-2 in a game that started at a fast pace before Toronto fell into a 2-0 hole within 20 minutes.
Much of the damage came from turnovers. Jake McCabe failed to clear the puck from the Toronto zone, and after a series of bounces, Newhook’s shot found the net.
McKenna committed two turnovers in the sequence that led to Montreal’s opening goal, and a sloppy play by Brandon Duhaime later leaked through Sergei Bobrovsky’s pads.
McKenna was benched for the rest of the first period and was later picked off by Chris Kreider on a breakaway in the second period. He returned in the third period and pounced on a Dakota Joshua rebound to draw Toronto within one, just 55 seconds after William Nylander’s power-play goal.
The Leafs could not complete the comeback. Troy Stecher’s hooking penalty led to a power-play goal by Zachary Bolduc, the sixth straight game in which Toronto has allowed a power-play goal.
Afterward, McKenna took responsibility, saying, “I thought we honestly played a pretty solid game. But a couple of turnovers — two by myself — that’s what killed us.”
Coach Jim Hiller spoke with McKenna during the intermission and returned him to the lineup. McKenna said the conversation motivated him.
John Tavares also returned to the lineup for the first time since Oct. 15, playing on the second-line left wing.
