HC Craig Berube crowns 26-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs goalie as team's hero in 7-3 comeback win over rivals Montreal Canadiens

The Toronto Maple Leafs completed a big comeback on Saturday, beating the Montreal Canadiens 7-3 at Bell Centre. After being down 3-0 in the first period, the Leafs scored seven straight goals. It was the team’s first comeback from such a deficit against Montreal since 1969.

Toronto coach Craig Berube praised the team’s effort, particularly Joseph Woll.

"Been a long time since it happened. It is great, though," Berube said after the game, via mapleleafshotstove.com, "It is a great rivalry. We all know that."

Berube added that the game meant more than usual because of the long-standing competition between the teams.

"We talked about it," Berube said. "In my opinion, it wasn’t just another game. It was a big game for both teams."

He also credited Montreal’s strong start but noted how his team adjusted.

"Montreal has been playing extremely well," Berube said. "It showed in the first period, but we got our feet underneath us, and started playing the right way doing the right things."

Woll played a big role in turning the game around, as he denied the Canadiens any goal in the second and third periods on 22 shots.

"It was a great comeback win from the guys," Berube said. "Our goaltender led the way, in my opinion."

On offense, seven different players scored for the Leafs, including Auston Matthews and William Nylander.

Toronto scored two power-play goals while limiting Montreal to just 1 of 5 attempts. The win gave Toronto a 2-1 lead in the season series, with one game left on April 12.

The win was a boost for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are now leading the Atlantic Division with 29 wins and 60 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs' stunning comeback win

The Toronto Maple Leafs secured the win in a stunning comeback on Saturday. Kirby Dach gave Montreal a 1-0 lead in the first period, followed by Patrik Laine’s power-play goal. Josh Anderson made it 3-0, finishing a strong first period for the Canadiens.

In the second period, Bobby McMann scored for Toronto after a 2-on-1 with William Nylander. Nicholas Robertson added a power-play goal, deflecting Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s shot to make it 3-2.

Nylander tied the game 24 seconds into the third with a backhand.

“We started well and then they got the momentum in the second period and we just weren’t able to get it back,” Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson said, via NHL.com.

Ekman-Larsson scored the go-ahead goal, followed by Auston Matthews’ shorthanded goal. Steven Lorentz and David Kampf finished the scoring.