Bobby McMann cues the comeback with a little bit of help from Matthew Knies

“I saw a couple guys’ sticks. Wanted Kniesy’s. I thought that’d be the closest to it. Didn’t really think about the white tape, though. That’s always a difference. And then it actually felt good,” McMann said post-game.

“I won a battle with it. And then puck came around, and I felt like I had to bend over a little bit more. His is a little shorter. But then I was like: I got to rip this with his stick and see what happens.”

McMann finished with two points and was instrumental in engineering the Maple Leafs’ electric victory. Nick Robertson also scored in the second period, and then the Maple Leafs ripped five more goals in the third period, cruising away with a 7-3 victory over the Canadiens, a nearly unthinkable outcome after the first period.

The 28-year-old explained the Maple Leafs’ mentality entering the second period, staring down a deficit in hostile territory.

“A lot of positivity, honestly,” McMann said. “Recognizing that we weren’t playing our game, and we were not playing up to how we should be.

“Realizing that we’re a really good team, and we’ve shown it many times this year. And if we stick with our plan, we’re going to come out on top.”

McMann has emerged as key contributor for the Maple Leafs with 13 goals and 20 points in 39 games. When he’s at his best, McMann’s elite straight-line speed makes defenders think twice in transition, and he’s helped reinvigorate some much-needed secondary scoring for the Maple Leafs.

And when all hope seemed to be lost, McMann just needed a little bit of help from his teammate, an uncredited assist for Knies, in a game full of remarkable storylines for the Leafs.