Was it the picture-perfect victory some Leafs fans were probably envisioning? No, but it was a win, with a number of positives to draw from it.
Let’s get into it in the game in 10:
1. Let’s jump right into the line construction. Against a shallow — to put it nicely — Montreal Canadiens team, Sheldon Keefe decided to load up. It was interesting that it was John Tavares — not Ryan O’Reilly — who moved over to the wing, although perhaps it is not surprising as ROR has a track record as a strong defensive center that Tavares simply does not.