The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday afternoon, the second and final game of the 2025 Prospect Showdown for the Habs.

Top prospect Ivan Demidov stole the show on Saturday, participating in all three Canadiens goals versus the Winnipeg Jets. Given that it was clear Demidov was head and shoulders above any other player on the ice, Montreal opted not to play him against the Leafs. It also avoided any potential injury, as these prospect games usually feature an overabundance of fights.

ON TOPIC: Ivan Demidov Steals The Show Versus The Winnipeg Jets

That was the case on Sunday, with two fights breaking out in the first few minutes of the game, setting a rather slow pace compared to the previous night.

Fight night.

Err, fight afternoon. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/NycXqOrSwv

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 14, 2025

Owen Beck was promoted to the first line to fill the gap left by Demidov, playing alongside Oliver Kapanen and Florian Xhekaj. The player with the most to prove, Filip Mesar, centred the third line with Egor Goriunov and Joe Dunlap.

La formation d’aujourd’hui

Today’s lineup #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/ctfeXwpbaH

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) September 14, 2025

The Canadiens played reasonably well, but the lack of focus early on resulted in a 4-1 win for the Leafs. Let’s jump into the highlights!

Sleepy Start

Without Demidov in the lineup, the Habs were missing the dynamic presence that drove the offence on Saturday night. This led to a rather slow start to the game, but once the fights took place, a hockey game broke out.

Jacob Fowler once again started for Montreal, with his usual stoic approach, but he was unable to stem the tide of momentum, as the Leafs established an early 2-0 lead.

If I had to criticize one aspect of Fowler’s game, it’s that he tends to sit a little too far back on occasions.

I still rank him as one of the most important prospects in the pipeline, but there’s definitely some work to be done before the team even thinks about using him in the NHL on a regular basis, which is perfectly normal given his lack of professional experience.

Pucks on net 👀

📺 | https://t.co/SkXUXf9X9I pic.twitter.com/QeRLEIIFI4

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) September 14, 2025

The best early scoring chance for the Canadiens was produced by Beck, who set up Oliver Kapanen with a great pass that probably should have resulted in a goal, but Kapanen sent it wide. It’s only fair to say the Leafs controlled both the physical play and the actual hockey until midway through the game.

Momentum Maker

Mesar opened the scoring for the Canadiens off the rush, a very encouraging sign for a player who has put together a few underwhelming seasons since arriving in North America. It’s much too early to suggest Mesar has no future with the team, even if some do hold that opinion, but it is fair to say he needs to start producing more often if he’s to earn a spot in the Laval Rocket’s top six this season.

As if on cue, Mesar was much more engaged on Sunday, setting up chances for his teammates while also driving to the net whenever the opportunity arose.

His goal versus the Maple Leafs was a great start to camp, and will surely serve as a confidence booster for the 21-year-old Slovak.

Exactly what the doctor ordered for Mesar. A quick goal off the rush cuts the lead to 2-1.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/0ip6EXjVRU

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 14, 2025

The Canadiens took over following Mesar’s goal, going on to outshoot the Leafs 35-29 by the time the final whistle blew, but it was too little, too late.

Montreal Canadiens Prospect Showdown Notes

– Carlos Handel’s skating is great. Not as smooth as Engstrom’s, but he creates a lot of space in the offensive zone.

– David Reinbacher looked much more comfortable on Sunday. Quick, efficient breakouts were on the menu, and his defensive positioning was better. He still struggled at times, particularly during the third Leafs goal, but his defensive play was superior to what he displayed on Saturday.

The Leafs make it 3-1 at the midway point of the third period. pic.twitter.com/N9Sa9kMHNk

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 14, 2025

– Mark Estapa made his mark. His violent mark. The undrafted forward was in the midst of most scrums versus the Leafs, bringing a certain level of intensity to the mix.

Estapa lights up Ben Danford in open ice pic.twitter.com/bQvUfkNFEb

— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) September 14, 2025

– A lot like Mesar, Vinzenz Rohrer had a better outing on Sunday afternoon. Neither player is likely to earn a roster spot out of camp, but Rohrer can play in the bottom six, which may give him an edge once he’s ready to play in the NHL.

– Oliver Kapanen was involved in a few nice plays, but I’m yet to see a player who is close to being NHL ready. Heavy minutes in Laval are in order this season.

– Much like salmon returning to their spawning grounds, Florian Xhekaj is inexplicably drawn to the crease by a force greater than any known to man. Okay, that was a weak analogy, but sometimes you take off without a place to land. 

The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on September 22, with their first game of the preseason taking place versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.