Overview
- Laval opened the best-of-five with a 3-1 win over Toronto at Place Bell to take a 1-0 series lead.
- Toronto came up empty on an early two-man power play, then Florian Xhekaj scored after a Michael Pezzetta giveaway.
- Joshua Roy netted the winner in the third period after Sean Farrell jumped on an Easton Cowan turnover in the Marlies zone.
- Kaapo Kähkönen stopped 20 of 21 shots for Laval, while Marlies starter Dennis Hildeby turned aside 23 of 25.
- Samuel Blais finished it with an empty-netter, and the series stays in Laval for Game 2 with the division’s top seed holding home ice.