Anderson, twice, and Coffield, Mike Hoffman and Rem Petlake obliterated the score sheet for the Canadian (11-33-7), who at the same time achieved his third win in a row.
Nick Suzuki also collected an assist, allowing him to become the first Habs player to reach 30 points this season.
At the time, I had Vincent (Lecavalier), Brad Richards, and Stephen Stamkus, three excellent midfield players. But I can tell you when I was playing Vincent Le Cavalier, I was a little bit older on the ice that night. (…) It is important for these guys (Caufield and Suzuki) to know that they will not be mistreated on the ice. What I like about Andy (Anderson) is his speed, size and talent. Tonight was a great example of what this trio can do.
St. Louis said in a video conference after the game.
Ilya Mikheev and Pierre Engvall scored for the Maple Leafs (32-14-3), who had suffered four defeats in their last six matches.
As it was the second game in several nights for the two clubs, interim coach Martin St. Louis sent goalkeeper Samuel Monttempeault into the fray. Quebec was fantastic scoring 35 balls en route to a second straight win.
At times his interview with Peter Merzek sounded bad. This was only his 10th game of the season, and he finished the game after stopping 20 shots in front of the Leafs.
The Canadians will now host the Buffalo Sabers at the Bell Center on Wednesday night. Jeff Skinner scored four goals in the last match between the two teams, which ended 5-3 in favor of Al-Saber on February 13.
The return of fans to the stands at Bale Center for the first time since December 2021 seemed like a catalyst for the Canadians early on in the game.
After Bitlake’s breakup failed early in the match, Anderson opened the scoring less than three minutes before the break. Jeff Petrie and Coffield were his accomplices.
Caufield and Anderson came back 50 seconds before the end of the match, and this time it was the No. 22 of Habs who netted the back-net for Mrazek. The score was suddenly 2-0 in favor of the Canadian, after 20 minutes of play.
The Montreal goalkeeper – as you read that correctly – continued his good work after the break by adding three more goals to the table.
Mrazek looked bad for the first time after a narrow shot from Hoffmann’s wrist, just 38 seconds into the second half.
Goalkeeper Leves thought he stopped the bleeding by stealing a certain goal from Anderson midway through the game, but the Canadian striker recovered well. Anderson scored the fourth for CH in a fine pass from Caufield, with 4:02 remaining in the period.
Bitlik added just before the break to make the score 5-0.
Mikheev and Engfal fought in the final third, but time ran out of foliage to complete the comeback. Meanwhile, St-Louis has reconnected with the threshold of respectability since taking office, by virtue of his 3-3 record.
St. Louis kept the same lineup as in the last game, Sunday, against the New York Islanders. Only goalkeeper Andrew Hammond made way for Montembolt against the Maple Leafs, who defeated Blue Blanc Rouge 2-1 at the start of the season, on October 13.
Echoes locker room
Josh Anderson appreciates his ability to develop in a trilogy completed by Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
I’ve said it before, but when you can play with players as talented as them, as smart as them, and able to take good shots, it makes things easier. I think we complement each other well. We all come up with something different for this trio. Personally, I try to stand out when they have a tweak (…) We still get to know each other, but we’re on the right track.
Samuel Montembeault was quickly tested in the first period by the Leafs, which made a difference to his game.
You helped me a lot; It gave me confidence at the start of the match. We knew they were a very good team on the other side, and I’m sure my save early in the game also helped the players gain confidence. Then we played well – we scored two quick goals in the first half – and then we didn’t look back.
Cole Caufield has seen progress in the Canadians game since the arrival of interim head coach Martin St. Louis.
We play together and we play for each other and the energy level in the dressing room is very high at the moment. We’ve been playing really well lately, even when we lost the first three games before this (three) series. But I like the way we’re playing at the moment.
Natalie Sinclair is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, accurate reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and issues that matter to their communities. Her work highlights timely developments, relevant stories, and practical insights in a professional and reader-friendly manner.