MONTREAL—It was a very good night for the Toronto Marlies. Well, former Marlies.

Goalie Ben Scrivens, centre Nazem Kadri and defenceman Mike Kostka — all of whom were key performers for the Maple Leafs’ top farm team — helped the big club get off to a winning start in this lockout-shortened season.

Kadri scored in the first period and was named the game’s third star in the Leafs’ 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. (The Marlies, by the way, beat Montreal’s farm team in Hamilton 3-2 in a shootout.)

Kostka played a dominating game on defence, assisting on Kadri’s goal but also making some nice stick plays in his own zone to break up Montreal’s puck possession.

And Scrivens turned aside 21 of 22 shots for his first win in the Bell Centre, one that came with considerable pressure since it was the first game of the year.

“I know what all these guys can do,” Kadri said of the Marlies that have graduated with him to the Leafs. “It didn’t surprise me (Scrivens) stood on his head and made some great saves. He battles — that’s all you can look for in a goaltender.”

Tyler Bozak scored the other Toronto goal. Brian Gionta ended Scrivens’ shutout bid toward the midway mark of the third period.

If Kostka was nervous, he didn’t show it. An AHL journeyman, he made his NHL debut in the game at age 27, calling it “everything and more” than he expected.

The Ajax, Ont., resident had his family out in full support, taking in the atmosphere at the Bell Centre, which can be quite magical.

Kostka took the game’s first shift. Asked what he was thinking as he stepped onto the ice, he said: “Everything and nothing. It was so loud in there, it was unbelievable. You’ve got to throw the nerves aside.

“Such a special day.”

It was also the first NHL game for 25-year-old Leo Komarov, a sixth-round pick of the Leafs in 2006 who played for both the Marlies and in the KHL. Komarov was the game’s standout pest.

If one Leaf did look nervous to start, it was Scrivens. Maybe it was because the Canadiens did their best to run him during most of the first period. He looked uncomfortable handling the puck. At one point, he fell handling the puck behind the net.

The rest of the way he chose to stop the play rather than try to pass.

“I think he should get his skates sharpened,” said Leafs coach Randy Carlyle, joking about Scrivens. “He fell behind the net. I don’t know what the heck he was doing there. We don’t ask our goaltenders to win the hockey game. We ask our goaltenders to give us a chance. I thought Ben Scrivens gave us a chance.”

Scrivens said he wasn’t nervous at all.

“No more than usual. You just try and focus,” he said. “Get that first save and go from there. It was par for the course. You get more and more comfortable as you play more and more games.

“For right now, I’ve got to rack up as much experience as I can. It’s great to get a game under my belt and keep rolling that way.”

Carlyle did not announce his starter. And he probably won’t announce that Scrivens will start Monday’s home opener against Buffalo. But it would be next to impossible to imagine James Reimer getting into that game after Scrivens’ win.

“The factors were, first, that he had a 30-game head start and a full training camp (with the Marlies) and he looked sharp in practice,” Carlyle said of his decision to start Scrivens. “We felt in this situation, he was the guy who gave us the best chance at success.”

The Leafs play five games in the first eight days of the season, meaning a good start is necessary if they’re to make a playoff run.

“Every week you’re going to be knocking off five games,” said forward Clarke MacArthur. “It’s going to be a tough schedule and we’re going to have to be smart.

“All the little things are going to be heightened this year. It’s about giving yourself a chance to win every night.”

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The Canadiens, as usual, brought down the house before the game even began, trotting out past stars and captains like Yvan Cournoyer, Henri Richard, Vincent Damphousse, Serge Savard and Jean Beliveau. Each carried the Habs’ fabled torch, handing it to one another, before Beliveau gave it to current captain Gionta. Then each Canadien, as introduced, took a turn holding it at centre ice.

Montreal came into the game without P.K. Subban, their budding star defenceman, who does not have a contract. The Canadiens were also worried about starting goaltender Carey Price, who had been battling a groin problem.

The Leafs were without Jake Gardiner, who’s out with a concussion. Korbinian Holzer, Mark Fraser and David Steckel were healthy scratches.

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