Leafs bounce back from three down, stun Canadiens

MONTREAL – As the timepiece ticked down to zero, a half-empty Centre Bell erupted into cheers arsenic the leftover Toronto Maple Leafs supporters who made the travel to Montreal celebrated a memorable comeback.

After trailing 3-0 astatine the extremity of the archetypal period, the visitors exploded for 7 unanswered goals, including 1 into an empty-net, sealing a 7-3 triumph implicit the rival Montreal Canadiens connected Saturday evening.

Bobby McMann, Nicholas Robertson, William Nylander, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Steven Lorentz, Auston Matthews and David Kampf recovered the backmost of the nett for Toronto (22-18-4), which maintained its one-point pb implicit the Florida Panthers atop the Atlantic Division.

Kirby Dach, Patrik Laine and Josh Anderson scored for Montreal (28-16-2).

A HISTORIC COMEBACK

The rivalry betwixt Montreal and Toronto goes backmost good implicit a century, with the 2 clubs facing disconnected for the archetypal clip connected Dec. 17, 1917. In that time, the Maple Leafs person won 335 of the 849 full games, but Saturday nighttime was conscionable the 3rd clip ever that they had managed to overturn a 3-0 shortage and win.

“It’s a large rivalry, we each cognize that, and we talked astir this ‘just going into different game’ but this isn’t conscionable different game, this is simply a large crippled for some teams,” said Toronto caput manager Craig Berube.

“We got our feet nether america and started playing the close way. This is simply a large comeback triumph for the guys.”

The different 2 comebacks against the Canadiens aft being down 3-0 occurred successful 1919 and 1969.

MONTREAL HUMBLED

Before the crippled against Toronto, Montreal had been the astir in-form squad successful the league, boasting a grounds of 8-1-1 successful their past 10 — a league-best — and had won 11 of their past 14. After the archetypal play 3-0 lead, it seemed the high-flying Canadiens were en way to firmly cementing themselves arsenic contenders for a playoff spot.

“It was an unusual game. We had an astonishing archetypal play and adjacent a beauteous bully 2nd wherever we could person been starring by adjacent more,” said caput manager Martin St Louis. “You deed a station they travel close backmost and score, we didn’t bash ourselves immoderate favours by taking penalties, and they got bounces to spell their mode successful the third. The crippled slipped done our fingers successful the third.”

Trending Now

While the Canadiens person grown comfy playing successful and winning one- oregon two-goal games during their caller tally of form, that seemed to beryllium erstwhile they were astatine their astir vulnerable. Montreal had lone mislaid 1 crippled aft starring during the archetypal period, which made the abrupt illness look each the much out-of-character.

“They conscionable capitalized connected their chances, and we gave them a mates powerfulness plays. We knew they were going to travel retired hard successful the 2nd play and that archetypal displacement successful the 3rd didn’t assistance america astatine all,” said Josh Anderson. “Best happening astir it is we play time (Sunday) night.”

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning connected Monday.

Canadiens: Host the New York Rangers connected Sunday.

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Jan. 18, 2025.