Leafs open season with shutout victory over rival Habs

TORONTO, Ont. – The Toronto Maple Leafs opened the 2011-2012 NHL season in style, defending their home-territory with an impressive 2-0 shutout victory over the division rival Montreal Canadiens.

Young Leafs goalie James Reimer was solid between-the-pipes, providing some key saves down the stretch to preserve the shutout victory for the boys in blue-and-white.

Scoring was provided by defenceman Dion Phaneuf and centre Matthew Lombardi, who scored a short-handed goal early in the second period.

This is the best time of the year to be a Leafs fan. Opening night is a time when Leafs lovers can forget past disappointments, while keeping their hopes high for a brand-new season here in hockey-town.

A massive tailgate party outside Maple Leaf Square helped kick-off the season, where thousands of fans crowded the streets in anticipation of puck-drop.

The tailgate party went until 9 p.m. and included autograph sessions with former Leafs, food and drink, an air-brush station, prizes and more.

Leafs fans without tickets to the game were being encouraged to stay and watch the game live on the outdoor videoboard where it was streamed.

The game got underway just after 7 p.m., when the new-look Leafs took to the ice in front of fans who would like nothing more than to see their beloved Buds return to the playoffs.

It’s been 2004 since the Leafs last made the playoffs, and even after a strong start, the burning question for fans this year remains: is the new squad finally ready to return the blue-and-white to their former glory?

“We do believe they’ve added more depth, more talent. The question is, ‘is it going to be enough to get them in?’ While they’ve improved, so have a lot of other teams in the eastern conference,” Sportsnet hockey analyst Nick Kypreos said.

Kypreos also pointed out Leafs goalie James Reimer has a lot of pressure on him, as the Maple Leafs are relying on a pair of young and relatively untested goaltenders this year, with Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson slated to play backup.

The Leafs are expected to have a strong defensive squad this year, anchored around a pair of tough, young defensemen in Dion Phaneuf and Luke Schenn. A relatively young offence features sniper Phil Kessel on the wing and some new names at the centre position, including Tim Connolly, who started the season on the disabled list..

It remains to be seen whether the young Leafs squad will have enough firepower to make the playoffs this year, but expectations are certainly relatively high after a strong second-half to the season last year.