Cujo Blanks Habs

Canadiens roster

"With Curtis, the way he's been playing the past two seasons, we know how important he is for our team," said Leafs captain Mats Sundin. "I think we were all worried about where he stood. It was a great sign to see him play tonight and see that he's fully recovered from his injury."

Jonas Hoglund and Sergei Berezin scored for Toronto, which has won five straight home games against Montreal. It was the 647th meeting of the historic rivals, a series Montreal leads 310-252-84.

"Every time we come here, I always feel that it is very good hockey, but we're always faced with the same situation and that's Joseph," Canadiens coach Alain Vigneault added. "I'm not quite sure how we're going to get around it, but next time, we're going to have to try to find a way."

With Joseph in the net, the Leafs are definitely a contender for the Cup this season.

"Clearly, in the two years I've been here, he's been a major part of any success I've had," Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn said. "We're working hard not to be too dependent as a group on him. When a player that has that ability to help you win hockey games is facing not being in the lineup, we are certainly concerned. But he handled it well and our training staff watched it well."