NHL pre-season: Matthews scores 1st goal, but Habs score 6

Andrew Shaw scored twice and Shea Weber got a goal in his first game in a Canadiens uniform as Montreal defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 in an NHL pre-season game on Thursday night.

Toronto's No. 1 pick Auston Matthews also got on the board, registering his first goal for the Leafs after beating Carey Price on the power-play. 

But coach Mike Babcock called it a game that youngsters like Matthews need to learn from. He said that apart from physical forwards Matt Martin and Zach Hyman, none of his players put in their best effort.

New Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen, had an especially rough start, facing 32 shots and without much help from his defence.

"You're wearing our sweater and you came in tonight and didn't exactly have a good account of yourselves," Babcock said when asked what the youngsters can take away from the game. "They're all proud guys and they want to do good and we have enough skill to take a significant step from last year, and yet that skill doesn't mean anything if you don't compete hard.

"I think that would be the lesson from this game."

Price, Weber get going 

For Montreal, newcomer Andrew Shaw scored two goals and Price turned away 28 shots as the Canadiens swamped the young Leafs.

"Yeah, I feel pretty good," said Price, Canada's World Cup-winning goalie who played his first game for Montreal since suffering a knee injury last Nov. 25. "I feel I prepared well.

"Now I just want to get the season going."

Weber, who played his first club game since he was acquired from Nashville for P.K. Subban in the off-season, drew a huge roar from the crowd as he scored in the second period.

McDavid leads Oilers past Jets

Connor McDavid leads Oilers over Jets

8 years ago

Duration 0:28

New Edmonton captain scores twice in 5-2 win over Winnipeg.

New captain Connor McDavid scored twice as the Edmonton Oilers won their second straight pre-season game, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 on Thursday.

• Connor McDavid named youngest captain in NHL history

Patrick Maroon, Mark Letestu and Tyler Pitlick also scored for the Oilers, who improved to 5-2-0 in exhibition action.

Brandon Tanev and Bryan Little responded for the Jets, who dropped to 4-2-0.

The Oilers struck first on the power play five minutes into the opening period. McDavid, who was named the youngest captain in NHL history on Wednesday, took a drop pass from Jordan Eberle and danced past a defender before beating Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck. It was McDavid's second goal of the pre-season, playing in his first game at the new Rogers Place.

Edmonton had 11 first-period shots to Winnipeg's 10 on Oilers backup goalie Jonas Gustavsson.

The Oilers made it 2-0 on another power-play goal. Maroon stole the puck off the faceoff and did a great job waiting for Hellebuyck to go down before sliding it in from a bad angle for his second goal and fourth point of the pre-season.

In a quirky moment, Edmonton goalkeeper Cam Talbot had his blade knocked off his skate by a slapshot and yet still managed to keep position. 

Canucks blank Flames

Canucks blank Flames in pre-season action

8 years ago

Duration 0:28

Loui Eriksson scores twice in 4-0 win over Calgary.

Loui Eriksson scored his first two goals for Vancouver and Ryan Miller made 35 saves for the shut out Thursday as the Canucks picked up a 4-0 pre-season victory over the Calgary Flames.

Jake Virtanen and Brandon Sutter also scored for the Canucks, who dressed as close to an NHL lineup as they have during the exhibition schedule.

Eriksson — who joined Vancouver from the Boston Bruins this summer after signing a six-year, $36-million US deal — along with Henrik and Daniel Sedin, saw their first action of the pre-season after the trio played on the same line for Sweden at the World Cup of Hockey.

Chad Johnson stopped 22 shots for the undermanned Flames, who left a number of veterans at home, including Mark Giordano, Troy Brouwer, Michael Frolik and Sam Bennett.

Leading 2-0 after the first period, Vancouver stretched its lead to three moments after a Calgary penalty expired and following a good stretch of control in the Flames zone from the No. 1 power-play unit that included Sutter, Eriksson, the Sedins and Philip Larsen.

Daniel Sedin took a pass from Larsen on the side boards and ripped a shot that Eriksson tipped past Johnson at 11:43.

Kings sideline Gaborik 

The Los Angeles Kings have placed right wing Marian Gaborik on injured reserve with a broken right foot.

The Kings formally made the move Thursday.

Gaborik was struck by teammate Mats Zuccarello's shot while they were playing for Team Europe at the World Cup of Hockey last month.

Gaborik is expected to be sidelined for at least eight weeks, keeping the Slovak goal-scorer out of the Kings' lineup until late November.