"Fire Berube" "Matthews on pace for 0 goals": Fans rip Toronto Maple Leafs for shutout loss to Montreal Canadiens

The Leafs nation was unhappy with Toronto's disappointing 1-0 shutout loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the season opener at Centre Bell Arena on Wednesday.

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Sam Montembeault stood tall for the Canadiens, making a staggering 48 saves to secure the win. His stellar performance not only secured a vital win for the Habs but also set an NHL record for the most saves made in a season-opening shutout.

The game marked the first shutout for the Toronto Maple Leafs since November 20, 2021. Before this, they had gone an impressive 252 consecutive games without being blanked, which was the third-longest streak in league history, including playoffs.

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Although it was only the season opener, the Leafs nation was extremely disappointed with the team. Fans took to X/Twitter to express their reactions following the game.

One said:

"Fire Berube"

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Another chimed in:

"Matthews on pace for 0 goals."

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"Getting shutout by a canadiens team without Laine on opening night," another commented.

"I mean, at least we were the better team but like... you should expect that playing the habs lmfao and still be able to score," one X user opined.

"I actually felt they played really good! And as far as a loss goes I can accept this one and move on. They will sort out assignments, get plays going and tighten things up. It does suck it had to be against this team. Consider it an home opener gift habs fans, see you next time!" another chimed in.

"What an embarrassing loss to a team that expects to be a lottery team. Not a good start to the Captain Matthews era," one wrote.

How Montreal Canadiens slayed Toronto Maple Leafs in season opener

On Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens secured a 1-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the season opener at home in Cantre Bell Arena. Sam Montembeault stopped all 48 shots for the Habs between the pipes.

Cole Caufield was the lone scorer for the Habs in the matchup. He scored a one-timer off Juraj Slafkovsky's cross-ice pass at 7:48 of the first period.

Meanwhile, it was the first defeat for Craig Berube as the Toronto Maple Leafs coach. Anthony Stolarz made 26 saves for the Leafs on the night. The Maple Leafs travel to Prudential Center to face the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Deepesh Nair