Auston Matthews looked like Auston Matthews again Tuesday night, and the Toronto Maple Leafs needed every bit of it.
Toronto erased a 3-0 deficit to beat the Nashville Predators, and Matthews finished with four points, including the overtime winner. It was the kind of night that reminded everyone why he sits in the conversation with the NHL’s best when he’s rolling: the puck on his stick looked dangerous, and the game seemed to tilt whenever he stepped over the boards.
The comeback had plenty going on beyond Matthews, too. John Tavares and William Nylander scored two minutes apart to get the Maple Leafs back into it, and from there Matthews took over. He helped set up Gavin McKenna’s first NHL goal with a slick pass to just above the slot, then showed off his quick hands on the tying goal by Jack Roslovic, feeding Roslovic down low for the finish upstairs on Juuse Saros.
Matthews kept pressing in overtime, where he looked threatening every shift. He even had a 3-on-0 with Morgan Rielly and Easton Cowan, though that chance came and went.
The game still ended with Matthews delivering the finish, as he was in the right spot beside the net with about 30 seconds left in OT and put the puck past Saros for the winner. It was all Nylander on the play before that, but Matthews was the one who made the final touch count.
Through four games, Matthews now has two goals and three assists for five points. More than the numbers, though, Tuesday felt like the first clear sign that he’s back to the level Toronto has been waiting to see since preseason chatter started building around him.
For the Maple Leafs, that matters. Last season didn’t feature enough nights where all the top guys showed up and dragged the team over the line.
This one did. And if Matthews keeps playing like this, Toronto has a very different look.
The challenge comes quickly, with the Maple Leafs headed to Vegas on Thursday to face the Golden Knights and former linemate Mitch Marner. For now, though, Leafs fans have a performance worth savoring. Matthews was the best player on the ice, and he proved it shift after shift.
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Gavin McKennas early NHL stretch finally turned into a memorable night in Toronto, where the young forward notched his first goal and assist in the same game Tuesday. It was the kind of small but meaningful milestone that can give a newcomer some needed confidence, and it came at a time when the Maple Leafs are still sorting out what they have in their younger pieces.
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What made the day stand out even before the puck dropped was McKenna showing up for the optional morning skate, a small detail that did not go unnoticed by fans or media around the team. Auston Matthews even suggested McKenna could be in line for more after getting that first one, and for a player still settling into his NHL footing, that kind of confidence can matter as much as the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Gavin McKenna Just Gave Leafs Fans A Needed Reason To Watch
Amid a game that had already tilted the wrong way, the Maple Leafs got a small lift from a new face Monday night in Nashville. Gavin McKenna, still looking to find his footing at the NHL level, helped set up John Tavares for a goal early in the second period, giving Toronto a bit of life while it trailed 3-2.
The sequence was simple enough, but it mattered for a player trying to settle in and for a team trying to pull itself back into the night. McKennas pass helped create a moment the Leafs could build on, and for a fan base always searching for signs of what comes next, it was at least one reason to keep watching. [Read more 🡒]