Marner magic, special team, and more: 3 reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs won 4-1 against Montreal Canadiens

The Toronto Maple Leafs won their second game in as many nights, beating the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 at the Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night.

Conor Timmins got his first goal of the season, with Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander adding the others. Morgan Rielly got his 400th assist of his career. Brendan Gallagher responded for the Habs.

So, here’s a look at the three reasons why the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

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Three reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs beat Montreal Canadiens

#3 The Leafs played a tight defensive game

The Toronto Maple Leafs have undergone a transformation under Craig Berube. The Leafs now play a much tighter defensive game, vastly reducing the opposition’s scoring chances.

That philosophy was on display on Saturday as the Canadiens were unable to get much going against the Leafs’ vastly improved structure. In particular, the Leafs locked down the game in the third period as they entered with a 4-1 lead.

Instead of cruising with the lead, the Maple Leafs buckled down and made sure that the Habs didn’t gain any momentum. While Montreal came out hard early in the third, the Leafs made sure that the Canadiens didn't build on that momentum.

Additionally, Joseph Woll played a strong game, stopping 20 of 21 shots, earning the game’s second star.

#2 The special teams kept rolling

The Toronto Maple Leafs' resurgent power play kept rolling, going 2-for-4. The Leafs' power play is now scorching hot, scoring seven times in the Leafs’ last three games. Nylander and Tavares scored for Toronto in the second period.

The Leafs also added a shorthanded goal, courtesy of Mitch Marner. While the Leafs' penalty kill went 1-for-2, the shorthanded marker put the Leafs up 3-0. Gallagher eventually scored during the same sequence, but it was not enough to change the game’s outcome.

#1 Mitch Marner delivered the magic

Marner ended the game with a goal and an assist for Toronto. He scored a brilliant shorthanded goal, taking advantage of an ineffective zone entry by Montreal. As the Habs’ Mike Matheson turned over the puck at the Leafs’ blue line, Marner stole the puck and led a 2-on-1 with David Kampf.

After Marner had slid the puck across to Kampf, Kampf’s shot left a rebound for Marner to bury in the back of the net. The shorthanded marker was a prelude to Marner’s primary assist on Tavares’ eighth of the year, a power play tally midway through the second.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will finish off their homestand on Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators series in another installment of the Battle of Ontario.