Three takeaways from Montreal Canadiens 5-2 win over Toronto Maple Leaf

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 Saturdayon home ice. The win which included a 29-save effort from Carey Price and two goals from Jonathan Drouin gives Montreal (5-4-2) its 12th point of the season. The Leafs (6-5-2) suddenly find themselves below .500 after allowing four or more goals in three of their last four games. Let's take a look at three important takeaways from the Habs' divisional win: 1. Jonathan Drouin just might be in the midst of a breakout year Drouin tied his career-high 53 points last season with the Canadiens, but more production has always been desired from 2013 NHL Draft's third overall pick. That is, untilnow when Drouin's two-goal effort brought his total to 10 points in 11 games played in 2019-20. Both his goals on Saturday came Edward Olivares Jersey on breakaways: first, he madeLeafs goalie Michael Hutchinson bite on a backhand deke to advance Montreal's lead to 2-0. TheSte-Agathe, Que. native simply for his second goal of the night in the third period to make the score 4-2. Jonathan Drouin 2-0 Here's Your Replay (@HeresYourReplay) Both goals displayed Drouin's skill with the puck and ability to blow by defenses two piecesthe Canadiens hoped to benefit from when the team in June 2017. The 24-year-old has scored points in all but three of Montreal's games this season. Should he maintain his hot start, he might justlead his team back to the playoffs for the first time since he joined the team. MORE: 2. The Maple Leafsstruggle without their captain Toronto captain John Tavares on Oct. 16. Since then, the Leafs own ameasly 2-2-1 record. Their goal differential (-1) since that date places them in the middle of the pack among the league's 31 teams and star players like Auston Matthews . Should fans in the greater Toronto area need to worry their star-studded lineupwon't make the playoffs? Probably not. Tavares should be back soonand the team is simply too talented to fall out of Cup contention. But lo ses to Columbus on Oct. 21 and now Montreal don't paint a pretty picture Mike Babcock's roster should be winning these games. Babcock said the Maple Leafs "gifted" Montreal its three third-period goals Saturday and expre sed disappointment in the team's first period playas well. "Any way you look at it we made mistakes and they just shot it in our net," Babcock said."It's disappointing because we had crawled our way back and kind of set the tone." 3. Are the Canadiens a playoff team? From March 1, 2014, to February 25, 2017, Montreal defeated Toronto in 14 consecutive head-to-head matchups. As the rivalry's power balance shiftedwith Matthews, Marner and Babcock's arrival in Toronto,the Leafs took control again and won seven games in a row against the Habs from 2017 until late last season. Saturday's game marked the second of four times the Atlantic Division rivals will meet this season so far, Montreal head coach Claude Julien has bested Toronto bothtimes. The Canadiens have fallen just outside the playoff picture and therefore received le s attention than the Atlantic's powerhouse teams in recent seasons. But perhaps the rest of the league should take note of the rouge, blanc et blue as this season progre ses. One thing is certain, winning division matchups against the likes of the Maple Leafs goes a long way toward earning a playoff spot come April. Richie Hebner Jersey