"IT WAS 3-1!" - NHL fans react as the Montreal Canadiens seal stunning comeback win against Maple Leafs

Fans were dazzled by the Montreal Canadiens' remarkable comeback away win over their arch-rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in an NHL preseason game on Monday, October 2, at Scotiabank Arena.

Although the contest between the two teams was merely a preseason game, both teams went toe-to-toe at the very end of the game, with the Canadiens emerging on top as they downed the Leafs 5-4 in overtime.

La Sainte-Flanelle got off to a great start, with Mattias Norlinder putting the team a goal ahead early in the period. However, the Maple Leafs demonstrated resilience, and a hat-trick of goals from Noah Gregor, John Tavares, and Max Domi placed the Habs two goals behind (3-1).

Nevertheless, the Montreal Canadiens kept their chins up and responded with a remarkable comeback, with Nick Suzuki putting the puck past Ilya Samsonov for the winner in OT.

Following the game, the Habs fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their contentment, with one tweeting,

Here are some of the best reactions across X to the Habs' stunning comeback win:

The Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs was a nine-goal thriller

One could argue that it was only a preseason game, but the way the game between the Habs and the Leafs played out, it was no less than a regular-season thriller. The contest ended up with nine goals.

John Tavares had two goals, while Max Domi and Noah Gregor each had one. Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Jonathan Kovacevic, Josh Anderson, and Mattias Norlinder were scorers for the Canadiens.

Between the pipes, Ilya Samsonov made 21 saves and ended the contest by posting a .808 SV%. Meanwhile, Jake Allen blocked 25 shots and had a .862 SV%.

The Canadiens, being in a rebuilding phase, had many positive points to pen down from the game, which coach Martin St. Louis will hope from his players to continue in the regular season as well.

The Montreal Canadiens travel to the Canadian Tire Centre next to face the Ottawa Senators in their next preseason clash on Saturday, Oct. 7. The puck will drop at 7 p.m. ET.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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