Our roots run deep.

It’s the slogan that was emblazoned on towels placed on each seat at Scotiabank Arena as fans arrived for the Maple Leafs’ regular-season opener on Wednesday night.

Fitting, then, that the longest-serving Leafs player made the difference against the Montreal Canadiens in a 5-2 Toronto victory.

Defenceman Morgan Rielly, looking to rebound after a tough 2024-25, scored the winning goal at 9:02 of the third when he fired a pass from Matthew Knies over the left shoulder of Montreal goalie Samuel Montembeault. Auston Matthews and William Nylander both scored empty-net goals.

The Leafs have won 10 home openers in a row. They haven’t lost one since Oct. 7, 2015, when the Canadiens beat them 3-1 in Mike Babcock’s first game behind the Toronto bench.

Rielly was an off

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