MONTREAL -- It was to be Michael McCarron's first regular-season home game for the Montreal Canadiens; his two previous NHL games were played in Dallas and Nashville in December. So it was understandable that the big center might have a few nerves.

That's normal for any farmhand being summoned by his NHL club, with just hours to prepare mentally for the challenge at hand.

But the butterflies, McCarron admitted, were most plentiful midday Saturday in Philadelphia, where he sat aboard a delayed flight, the ticking of the clock growing louder by the minute.

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens are more focused on keeping alive their slim hopes of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs than tying their longest winning streak against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Max Pacioretty scored two goals, and Mike Condon made 31 saves to give Montreal a 4-1 win against Toronto at Bell Centre on Saturday.

Alex Galchenyuk and Devante Smith-Pelly scored for the Canadiens (30-27-5), who swept the four-game season series against the Maple Leafs.

At 2:49 of the second period in the Maple Leafs/Canadiens game, video review confirmed that Brendan Gallagher's stick was above the height of the crossbar when he deflected the puck into the Toronto net. According to Rule 60.5 "An apparent goal scored by an attacking player who strikes the puck with his stick carried above the height of the crossbar of the goal frame shall not be allowed. The determining factor is where the puck makes contact with the stick." Therefore the referee's call on the ice stands - no goal Montreal.

At 7:01 of the first period in the Maple Leafs/Canadiens game, Toronto requested a Coach's Challenge to review whether a Montreal player interfered with Toronto goaltender Jonathan Bernier prior to Alex Galchenyuk's goal. 

After reviewing all available replays and consulting with NHL Hockey Operations staff, the Referee confirmed no goaltender interference infractions occurred before the puck crossed the goal line.

MAPLE LEAFS (21-28-10) at CANADIENS (29-27-5)

TV: CBC, TVA Sports, CITY, NHL.TV

MONTREAL -- Center Phillip Danault will make his Montreal Canadiens debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Bell Centre on Saturday.

Danault was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks along with their second-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft on Friday in a trade for forwards Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann.