TORONTO (AP) - It took two late goals by Zach Hyman and a huge comeback by Toronto to end its longest losing streak of the season.
Hyman scored two goals in the final 1:50 of the third period as the Maple Leafs erased an early 3-0 deficit and beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-3 Saturday night.
William Nylander and Auston Matthews each had a goal and an assist, and Tyler Ennis and Andreas Johnsson also scored for Toronto, which snapped a season-high three-game losing streak. Frederik Andersen stopped 32 shots, and Patrick Marleau, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly had two assists each.
Hyman and Johnsson scored empty-net goals.
“The first 10 minutes we were all over them and then all of a sudden it’s 3-0,” Hyman said. “What a win for us to end a losing streak, to come back like we did (on) Saturday night against Montreal.
“It’s a good feeling.”
Andrew Shaw and Jeff Petry each had a goal and an assist, and Tomas Tatar scored for Montreal, which had its three-game win streak halted. Carey Price made 31 saves.
“Hockey games lasts for 60 minutes, and we didn’t play the full 60,” Canadiens winger Artturi Lehkonen said.
Hyman netted the eventual winner when he scored off a rebound of a shot by Mitch Marner. It was Hyman’s 12th of the season.
“Everybody contributed,” Hyman said. “It was one of our best team wins of the year to be able to come back like that.”
Johnsson added his 17th into an empty net with 57.5 seconds left. Hyman’s empty-net goal came after he was taken down on a breakaway by Shea Weber.
Montreal built a three-goal lead early in the game. The Maple Leafs closed within a goal in the second period and tied the score at 6:58 of the third on a fortuitous bounce. Marleau’s dump pass in took a crazy hop off the boards in front to Nylander, who fired his fourth into the open net, with Price out of position.
Toronto trailed 3-0 after a disastrous opening 20 minutes, but got one back early in the second on the power play. Matthews, who beat Price in overtime in the season opener on Oct. 3, took a pass from Rielly and beat Price through the pads for his 29th goal of the season at 2:13.
Toronto got another power play toward the end of the period and connected when Nylander fed a no-look pass down low to Marleau, who quickly fed Ennis for his eighth.
The Leafs came in having won six in a row against the Canadiens, but fell behind early.
Shaw opened the scoring at 8:07 of the first, burying his 13th the season, and third against the Leafs.
Toronto challenged for goalie interference, but the call on the ice stood following a quick review.
Montreal then went up 2-0 at 12:44 when Toronto’s fourth line turned the puck over in the neutral zone. The Canadiens’ top unit raced the other way and Tatar scored his 21st, beating Andersen on the short side.
The Canadiens stretched their lead to three goals on a man advantage at 13:52, when Petry took a pass from Shaw at the top of the left face-off circle and beat Andersen high for his 11th goal.
NOTES: Matthews has 10 goals in 10 career outings against the Canadiens. … Ennis, who broke his ankle on Dec. 22, sat out 21 games before returning to the lineup last Saturday. … Montreal winger Jonathan Drouin took the warmup, but was a late scratch with the flu. Nicolas Deslauriers took his place. … Toronto defenseman Jake Gardiner suited up after sitting out Friday’s practice. … Marleau played the 1,635th game of his career, moving past Scott Stevens and into sole possession of eighth on the NHL’s all-time list.
UP NEXT
Leafs: Host Buffalo on Monday.
Canadiens: At New Jersey on Monday.
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