Maple Leafs HC Craig Berube makes his thoughts crystal clear on 7-3 comeback victory over rivals Montreal Canadiens since 1969

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube was ecstatic after his team's incredible 7-3 comeback victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.

The win marked the first time since 1969 and the third time ever that the Maple Leafs had overcome a 3-0 deficit against their longtime rivals to earn a victory.

“Been a long time since it happened," Berube said to reporters after the game. "It is great, though. It is a great rivalry. We all know that. We talked about it. In my opinion, it wasn’t just another game. It was a big game for both teams.

“Montreal has been playing extremely well. It showed in the first period, but we got our feet underneath us and started playing the right way doing the right things. It was a great comeback win from the guys. Our goaltender led the way, in my opinion.”

The Canadiens jumped out to a three-goal lead in the first period on goals by Patrik Laine, Josh Anderson and Kirby Dach. However, the Maple Leafs scored seven unanswered goals to secure the win.

Auston Matthews, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Bobby McMann, David Kampf, Steven Lorentz, William Nylander and Nicholas Robertson scored for Toronto. Joseph Woll finished with 32 saves. Sam Montembeault made 27 saves.

Craig Berube weighs in on Leafs allowing three early goals

Craig Berube weighed in on the Leafs' performance in the first period as they found themselves in a 3-0 deficit that he attributed to a lack of effort in the puck battles.

"Just win more battles," Berube said. "We watched. They skated. We didn't win any puck battles. We exposed the middle of the ice in the first period. I mean, all three goals were preventable. We were just a little bit loose."

However, Berube praised the Leafs' resilience, noting that they were able to fight back into the game.

"They were resilient," Berube said. "They are. They did a good job of managing the game from that point on, I thought. They got one, got momentum, and then got two. We weren’t trying to open it up or anything like that. Just stick with it."

The Maple Leafs will next face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday at home.