Maybe it’s a good thing the regular season is still 12 days away for the Maple Leafs.

While most NHL clubs feel ready to rock more than halfway through the NHL’s pre-season calendar, Toronto still needs its roster better identified, with line cohesion, special teams and a few nuances settled.

The Montreal Canadiens beat a better Leafs team on paper on home Saturday at Scotiabank Arena, 4-2, bringing Toronto’s record to 2-2 in exhibitions.

The two clubs start the real thing a week from Wednesday at the same Scotiabank Arena, preceded by two more preps for the Leafs, home-and-home against Detroit after a couple of days for most of the main group to bond in Muskoka.

There was some potential with Toronto’s third line of newcomers centred by Nicholas Roy, flanked by Dakota Joshua and Matias Maccelli, which also saw some second -unit power-play time Saturday. But Maccelli was flipped for Calle Jarnkrok on John Tavares’ trio with William Nylander to start the third as coach Craig Berube tinkered further. Nylander added a late goal and, while Nick Robertson didn’t score, he’s keeping his chances to stick very much alive.

Max Domi was tried in the middle to start with Matthew Knies, who is slated to be his opposite winger when Auston Matthews dresses again.

But continuing a September trend where the Leafs have thrived on the road against NHL teams with their bubble players, while the script flips at home, the hustling Habs led 2-0 halfway through the game, holding Toronto to nine shots.

An open Alex Newhook solved Alex Stolarz after a strong first pre-season start, during 4-on-4 action. When Matthew Knies and new penalty-kill partner Nylander couldn’t finish a short-handed chance, play went down ice and Riley Kidney jammed in a power play rebound.

The Leafs broke Montreal keeper Kaapo Kahkonen when Nylander and Nick Robertson pressured the visitors into a giveaway that John Tavares buried.

But with Tavares in the box serving a too-many-men call, rookie of the year Lane Hutson side-stepped Dakota Joshua, another newbie on Toronto’s special teams and restored the two-goal lead.

After being non-commital to how much he’d use Stolarz, Berube let him face 18 shots, then turned to Artur Akhtyamov for the third period. The young Russian continued his sharp play, making one stop off a Tavares giveaway in the slot before Sean Farrell completed the scoring.

Lhornby@postmedia.com

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