Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban (76) reacts with teammates including forward Max Pacioretty (67) and Brendan Gallagher (11) after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period at the Bell Centre.Eric Bolte
P.K. Subban and Max Pacioretty each had a goal and an assist as the Montreal Canadiens extended their winning streak from the start of the season to nine games with a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
The Canadiens are one short of an NHL record 10-0-0 start shared by the 1993-94 Leafs and 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres. Their next game is Tuesday in Vancouver.
Lars Eller, David Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher also scored for Montreal, whose wins have all been in regulation time. The Canadiens, with a big 48-hour stretch on offence, were coming off a 7-2 win in Buffalo on Friday night.
Leo Komarov, James van Riemsdyk and Morgan Reilly scored for Toronto (1-4-2), which is winless in its last three games.
The Canadiens were outworked for most of the game by the Leafs, who had a season-high 52 shots and were the first team this season to beat Carey Price more than twice in a game. Montreal had 27 shots on a shaky Jonathan Bernier.
Reilly and Dion Phaneuf hit goalposts, but it was the Canadiens who emerged with a 1-0 first period lead when Bernier was unable to hang onto Subban's cannon blast from the top of the right circle on a power play at 10:53. It was Subban's first goal of the season.
Toronto had a 23-11 shots advantage in the second but fell behind 5-2.
Alex Galchenyuk drove to the net and his rebound was banged in by Eller 1:54 into the second period.
Komarov got it back at 2:37 from in front to score after van Riemsdyk deflected Scott Harrison's point shot off Price.
Desharnais saw his pass on the rush up the right side go in off Michael Grabner's skate at 4:24 but then van Riemsdyk got it back at 6:36, banging in the rebound of Dion Phaneuf's shot off the end boards after keeping Montreal penned in its zone for a long stretch.
Pacioretty broke down the left side and beat Bernier between the pads shorthanded at 15:30 and Gallagher tipped a Subban shot in from the edge of the crease on a power play at 19:46.
Reilly scored 7:11 into the third when he picked the far corner with a shot on the off-wing on a rush.
Byron Froese, recalled Friday from the Toronto Marlies, centred the fourth line in his first NHL game. The Leafs placed Tyler Bozak (lower body) and defenceman Jake Gardiner (undisclosed) on the injured list this week.
A moment of silence was observed before the game for former Canadien Jimmy Roberts, who died this week. He was 75.