MTL@TOR: Quotes of the night

TORONTO - The Canadiens edged the Maple Leafs by a score of 2-1 on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena, snapping a two-game losing streak.

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Following the contest, captain Shea Weber, forwards Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher, and head coach Claude Julien spoke with reporters via Zoom.
Here are a few highlights from their respective chats:
Weber was asked what led to the Canadiens turning things around in the final stanza after a subpar 40 minutes of play:
It's been a frustrating little go the last few games. I think we just kind of cleared up and started skating and started playing. Obviously we've got time off here, but we've got to build off that third period and continue it next week when we play Toronto again.

The veteran defenseman also commented on Gallagher's game-winning tally with just over three minutes remaining in regulation:
That's just one of the huge plays he's made for this club over the years. Even before I was here, he's been doing it for a long time. I don't expect him to stop anytime soon. It was a big, big play to get us going in the right direction here.

Danault, meanwhile, talked about what lessons the players have learned recently during their struggles:
The positive is the difference compared to last season. We couldn't stop the losing, and we weren't able to get back up. That's the difference this year. We got up. We came together and we played our style of game. We had an ordinary start to the game, but we played well in the second and third periods. We have mental strength that we didn't have last season.

Danault shared his thoughts on Tomas Tatar being a healthy scratch as well:
It probably wasn't an easy decision for Claude. Tatar is an important player for us. He can score big goals. I'm not worried about it. He'll be back in the lineup, and he'll be fired up. I'm not concerned about his work ethic. He proved what he can do over the last two years. His heart is in the right place. He's dedicated to the Canadiens. He's a very important player for us.

Gallagher discussed the Tatar situation, too:
I can say this about Tuna, when I came off the ice, he had the biggest smile on his face. He's an unbelievable team guy. He's a big part of our group. We're going to need him. Tonight, he obviously wasn't out there with us, but he's going to be a big part of this group going forward. We know what type of player he is. I know how he is. He's going to be fine. He's dealt with this before in his career. He's responded the right way. As his friend, obviously, you try to talk to him. As a teammate, you know how important he is.

The Habs' alternate captain also recounted the message that was shared in the locker room between the second and third periods when they were still down by a goal and looking to swing momentum in their favor:
Find a way. Our goaltender gave us the biggest opportunity to go out there and find a way to win that hockey game. We were able to come out and outplay them for 20 minutes and win a hockey game. That's kind of what this League is. You have to take advantage of these opportunities when you get them. We've been on the other side where you outplay teams and let them hang around. You know how easy it is for them to regain momentum. There's definitely some areas for us to improve and get better, even if we have to enjoy these wins when they come. But we know that we have to be sharper going forward.

Julien shed some light on the squad's overall approach during a diffcult stretch:
We're confident, but we're also determined. Our determination allowed us to recover from a tough start. We did a lot of preparation for the game tonight. As the game went on, we started to see some of the good things we were doing at the beginning of the year. We're hoping that we can build on this win. We're facing the Maple Leafs next Saturday night and we have a big week to rest, prepare and make adjustments. We want to keep playing the way we did in the third period.

The Canadiens' bench boss then praised Gallagher for another job well done:
He's a sparkplug. He always works hard. That doesn't mean that he always has big games, but the effort is always there. His game is definitely contagious for the rest of the team. I'm happy that he was rewarded for his effort with a big goal tonight. We needed that goal and that win. I'm happy for him, and we can leave Toronto with our heads held high.