Habs Win 2-1 In a Shootout And Snap A 11-Game Losing Streak In Toronto
The Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in a shootout on Saturday. This was their first victory at Scotiabank Arena since they won Game 7 of the North Division Semifinals and their first regular-season win since February 21st, 2021, snapping an 11-game losing streak in Toronto. It was an incredibly impressive goal scored by newcomer Alexandre Texier in the shootout that proved to be the winning goal in this one.
The Montreal Canadiens beat the Leafs 2–1 in a shootout, ending their 11-game losing streak at Scotiabank Arena.
Les Canadiens de Montréal ont battu les Leafs 2–1 en fusillade.
Prochain match : Canadiens vs Blues
7 décembre à 19 h#GoHabsGo #thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/Pi7pKOpRba— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) December 7, 2025
For the 2nd game in a row, goaltender Jakub Dobes won a game in the shootout for the Canadiens. The difference being that on Wednesday, he needed to make a lot of saves to get the Habs to the shootout, whereas until the 3rd period against the Leafs, he wasn’t challenged very much. Nonetheless, when it came to needing to come up big late in regulation, overtime, and the shootout, he stood strong for the guys in front of him. Dobes finished the night with 22 saves on 23 shots.
“I love playing them.”
Jakub Dobeš chats with @sportsnetkyle after 22-save night in the Habs win over the Leafs pic.twitter.com/8jsLE3c4xk
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 7, 2025
Overall, it was the Canadiens who were the better team on the night, outshooting the Leafs 34-23. However, Leafs goaltender Dennis Hildeby held the Habs offence to just one goal up until the shootout, making 33 saves on 34 shots. Hildeby is the third goaltender on the Maple Leafs’ depth chart, as their top netminders are currently out with an injury. With that being said, he came out big for his teammates who didn’t have the best night in front of him.
The first period was rather even in terms of play, with both teams having a few chances, but there weren’t many prime scoring chances in the period. The Canadiens had the edge in the shots department, leading 9-7 after 20 minutes of play.
It was the 2nd period, where the Habs took over the game, outscoring the Leafs 13-3 in the period. As a result, it was no surprise that the Canadiens would score their only goal of regulation during the period.
What a pass by Ivan Demidov.
Cole Caufield now has a 10 game point streak 🔥
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) December 7, 2025
It was Cole Caufield with his team-leading 15th goal of the season on the power play that opened the scoring at 8:25 in the 2nd period. The goal came after Ivan Demidov made a shot-pass that Juraj Slafkovsky tipped onto Caufield’s stick on the backdoor for a wide-open goal on the play. With that goal, the Canadiens had scored 7 times in their last 12 power play opportunities at that point. They would eventually finish the night, having scored 7 goals in their last 14 power play attempts, after finishing the night 1-for-4. The Habs currently have the league’s 4th-best power play, scoring on 26.4% of their opportunities thus far. Caufield extended his point streak to 10 games with his goal.
After that goal, the Canadiens had a few chances to double their lead in the 2nd period, including a breakaway by Zack Bolduc that was stopped glove-side by Hildeby. Another opportunity came when Caufield almost scored on the backdoor for the 2nd time on the power play, but he wasn’t able to get his 2nd of the night.
In the 3rd period, the Leafs came out pushing, but Dobes stood tall early on. Meanwhile, the Habs continued pushing to try to extend their lead. It took a Canadiens power play for the Leafs to tie the game.
LAUGHTON TIES IT UP!!!!!!
📽️: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/NNFMP0ajgj
— TheLeafsNation (@TLNdc) December 7, 2025
With the Canadiens’ 2nd power play unit on the ice, Oliver Kapanen attempted to make a saucer pass around the boards that got blocked by Leafs forward Nicolas Roy, who managed to spring his penalty kill partner, Scott Laughton, in on a breakaway as he sped past Noah Dobson. On the breakaway, Laughton fired a slapshot that beat Dobes for a shorthanded goal to tie the game all up at 1 with 9:32 left to go in regulation. This was the first shorthanded goal that the Canadiens have allowed all season.
Jakub Dobes makes a key save with his mask. pic.twitter.com/nhFVczR6C2
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) December 7, 2025
Following that goal, it was the Leafs that had the best chance to score, but Dobes robbed Dakota Joshua on a one-timer from the slot by sliding across his crease to make the save.
Early in overtime, the Leafs held the puck for nearly 2 minutes straight without taking a shot as the Habs chased them around the ice. Both teams had some good chances at 3-on-3, but the netminders stopped everything that went their way.
A nasty goal by Caufield in the shootout. pic.twitter.com/mCAaCViQGb
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 7, 2025
The shootout would start with Dobes making a big save on William Nylander by getting the pad down by the post. Then, Caufield came up and shot the puck into the top corner of Hildeby’s net to give the Habs a lead. He is now 3-for-4 in shootouts this season.
Next up, Auston Matthews would beat Dobes’ five-hole to tie the shootout back up. Texier came up, where he used his silky hands to deke out of Hildeby and slid the puck in the five-hole with a one-handed poke. The goal was insane, and if it were at the Bell Centre, the roof would have surely blown off.
A lot of Habs fans were surprised and even upset when Alexandre Texier was picked for the shootout.
He was a career 66% when he joined the team and tonight he showed everyone with his awesome shootout move.
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) December 7, 2025
With John Tavares as the Leafs’ last chance, Dobes stood strong to claim his 2nd shootout win in a row. Dobes continues to show that he belongs as the Habs’ starting netminder for the near future, as he is officially back at the top of his game.
Jakub Dobeš makes the save and the Canadiens win it in a shootout! 🔵⚪️🔴 pic.twitter.com/Nf01BYN7AL
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 7, 2025
Thanks to the victory, Dobes is now 10-3-2 on the year, while the Habs have improved to 15-9-3 on the season. They currently sit in 3rd place in the Atlantic, just one point behind the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot. However, they currently have 3 games in hand on the Bruins and have played one game less than the Lightning.
The Habs will make up that game on Sunday when they head home to take on the St. Louis Blues. Considering Samuel Montembeault’s struggles, there are many who say they would rather play Dobes for a 2nd straight game against the Blues.
Do you think playing Dobes for a 2nd straight night is the right move for the Habs?
