Montreal Canadiens — Toronto Maple Leafs: 4:3, NHL

Montreal Canadiens beat Toronto Maple Leafs 2:0 in their National Hockey League opener on Friday night. The home side took all three points at the Bell Centre, closing out a result that confirmed what the form tables might have suggested.

And here's the thing — both sides arrived with worrying recent records. Montreal had lost four of their last five against Carolina, while Toronto's run of defeats stretched back to April. A clean sheet felt like the realistic target for the hosts.

We had given Montreal the win at 52 per cent confidence. The result delivered, though the margin of victory was perhaps the more interesting detail. Two goals, none conceded — a performance built on structure rather than spectacle.

The standings tell us nothing yet. Both teams sit on zero points after zero games, so the table remains a blank slate rather than a statement of intent. What matters is that Montreal started ahead.

By then, the visitors would have been looking for something to take from the contest. They came for a cross they never reached, or in hockey terms, a chance they never created. The hosts kept a clean sheet, and one mistake ends it.