Canadiens  4    Maple Leafs  3

Recap: Toronto vs. Montreal

Sports Network | October 1, 2009

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Josh Gorges scored with 13 seconds remaining in overtime, as the retooled Montreal Canadiens raised the curtain on the 2009-10 campaign with a 4-3 win over Toronto at Air Canada Centre.

Two years ago, Montreal left prognosticators in bewilderment, capturing a Northeast Division title and securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Despite flaming out in the second round, the improbable success resulted in lofty expectations last season for the Canadiens, who were celebrating their centennial anniversary.

However, a promising start was followed by a second-half swoon that included the dismissal of head coach Guy Carbonneau with 16 games remaining. General manager Bob Gainey took over behind the bench, and Montreal limped into the playoffs as the eighth seed before being swept in the first round by Boston.

In the offseason, the Habs overhauled the roster and brought in Jacques Martin as coach.

New additions Brian Gionta and Travis Moen each had a goal, while Mike Cammalleri, signed as a free agent after spending last season in Calgary, picked up two helpers.

Holdover Glen Metropolit registered a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who got a 43-save effort from Carey Price.

"(Price) gave us a chance to win," said Gorges. "If it wasn't for him, the game could have easily been blown out."

Matt Stajan tallied twice for the Maple Leafs, who were playoff spectators for a club-record fourth consecutive season. Vesa Toskala gave up four goals on 27 shots in defeat.

In the extra session, Cammalleri sped into the attacking zone, skated around a Toronto defenseman and fired a shot on goal that was turned aside by Toskala. Gorges followed up the play and lifted the rebound over the fallen netminder for the game-winner.

A pair of newcomers set up the game's first goal for Montreal.

Defenseman Mike Komisarek, who played six seasons with the Habs before joining the Maple Leafs this summer as a free agent, was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking and it took the visitors just four seconds to strike.

Cammalleri emerged with the puck from a faceoff to Toskala's left, drove to the net and slipped the disc over to Gionta, who slammed it home at the 11:05 mark of the first period.

Toronto drew even with 5:33 remaining on Alexei Ponikarovsky's quick shot from the slot off a nice feed from Mikhail Grabovski.

Montreal regained the lead at 6:38 of the middle stanza. Metropolit won a battle for possession behind the Toronto net and sent the puck out front to Moen, who fired it through a surprised Toskala.

The Maple Leafs tied the game nearly four minutes later on the power play when Stajan positioned himself at the left side of the net and redirected Tomas Kaberle's pass from the point behind Price.

Stajan's second goal -- a power-play marker -- gave Toronto a 3-2 lead at 9:09 of the third period. Metropolit countered on the man advantage, deflecting Gorges' point shot past the glove of Toskala with 4:10 to play.

"It was a tough loss, but we'll take the point," Komisarek said. "We did a lot of great things, but we still have to work on a lot of details."

Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov left the game in the third period with a lower-body injury. He will re-evaluated on Friday...Tomas Plekanec recorded two assists for the Canadiens.