Maple Leafs Top Canadiens 1-0, Deny Playoff Spot

Mitch Marner scored just 36 seconds into overtime, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 1-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on April 12, 2025. This win secured home-ice advantage for Toronto in the upcoming playoffs and maintained their lead in the Atlantic Division. Goalie Anthony Stolarz earned his third shutout of the season, making 15 saves, while Montreal's Jakub Dobes stopped 34 shots but couldn't prevent the loss. The Canadiens missed a chance to clinch the Eastern Conference's final wild-card spot, having suffered two consecutive defeats after a six-game winning streak. Both teams faced challenges, with Toronto playing short-handed due to injuries to key players and Montreal struggling with slow starts, as highlighted by their difficulty in generating offense early in games. The Canadiens will need to regroup quickly as they continue their playoff chase.