EditorsNote: Updates 5th graf with Tavares required to medical facility
Tavares gave a thumbs-up gesture as he was stretchered off the ice, following a number of minutes of treatment from both groups fitness instructors. He was required to a regional hospital.
Josh Anderson scored Montreals first objective, less than two minutes after Tavares injury.
William Nylander scored the Maple Leafs only goal, depositing a rebound 4:28 into the 2nd period.
Carey Price stopped 35 of 36 shots, returning after missing the Habs last 13 regular-season games due to a concussion.
Paul Byrons short-handed goal in the third duration offered the Montreal Canadiens a 2-1 victory over the host Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday in Game 1 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
During a Leafs power play 12:44 into the 3rd period, Byron outraced defenseman Rasmus Sandin to a loose puck in Torontos zone. Byron was knocked down on the play, but shooting from his knees, Byron was still able to fire the puck past goalie Jack Campbell.
Though the Habs now hold a 1-0 lead in the series, the Maple Leafs higher concern is the status of captain John Tavares, who left the video game with an apparent head/neck injury.
Midway through the first duration, Tavares was kneed in the head by a racing Corey Perry. Tavares had been bodychecked to the ice by Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot and Tavares fell right into the course of Perry, who was moving too rapidly to avoid the Toronto captain.
Playing in his first career Stanley Cup playoff game, Campbell stopped 28 of 30 shots.
Byrons third career postseason goal represented yet another offending strike by the Canadiens penalty-kill system. Montreal had nine short-handed goals during the regular season, tying for the league lead.
Through Montreal went scoreless on five power-play opportunities, Torontos offense was stifled due to the time invested eliminating penalties.
The Maple Leafs were 0-for-4 in power-play possibilities, with Byrons goal including additional heartache for a having a hard time power-play unit. Over their last 30 video games in the regular season and postseason, the Leafs have actually scored just 5 times on 77 chances with the additional attacker.
Montreal forward Jake Evans (undisclosed injury) didnt play in the third period.
Video game 2 is on Saturday in Toronto.
— Field Level Media
