The Toronto Maple Leafs got their preseason going Saturday with split-squad matchups against the Montreal Canadiens, and the results came in mixed shades: a 4-1 home loss and a 4-3 overtime defeat in Montreal.
For new coach Jim Hiller, the opener handed over a little of everything. There were clear bright spots, a few frustrating missed chances, and enough sloppy moments to give the staff plenty to work on as camp tightens up and roster cuts get closer.
The biggest positive might have been the simplest one: Auston Matthews looked like himself. TSN rinkside analyst Mike Johnson noted that the Maple Leafs captain hit a skating speed of 35 km/h on an in-game rush, a number he reached only twice during the 2025-26 season. Matthews also put six shots on net, and he looked quick throughout.
Gavin McKenna, the prized first overall pick, also flashed the kind of vision that can change games. He had the puck often and kept finding openings.
Early in the first period, he set up Bo Groulx for what nearly became a goal-mouth tap-in. Later, McKenna showed the same touch by setting up housemate John Tavares.
His playmaking stood out, and it was easy to see how that kind of skill could help Matthews as he settles into the NHL.
The Leafs also got a moment from Darren Raddysh, even if the finish was messy. He took a feed from Matthews and ripped a power-play shot that ended up as a double deflection own goal.
The puck broke the stick blade of Canadiens winger Josh Anderson, then caromed off defenseman Mike Matheson and into Montreal’s net. Ugly?
Absolutely. Still, the point-shot threat is something Toronto has been missing for a long time.
There was another encouraging sign in overtime, when Colton Sissons scored on the power play in Montreal. Oliver Ekman-Larsson sent a wrist shot through traffic looking for a tip, and Sissons got the redirect past Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes. With questions swirling around the Leafs’ revamped bottom six, those kinds of goals matter.
Marshall Rifai also delivered a notable moment when he stepped in after the Leafs didn’t answer Radko Gudas’ dirty hit on Matthews, which ended Matthews’ 2025-26 season. Rifai saw Florian Xhekaj taking liberties with Matthews and William Nylander, and he answered by dropping the gloves.
Still, the opening games also showed where the Leafs were short. The finish wasn’t there.
Matthews had chances and didn’t score, including a second-period power-play look that Kaapo Kahkonen turned aside. The goals should come later, but the health piece mattered most here.
McKenna had his own missed opportunity in the Toronto loss, getting a clean 2-on-1 chance with Nylander in the second period. His look-away wrist shot didn’t fool Samuel Montembault, and TSN analyst Jeff O'Neill pushed the rookie to put aside the kind of trick shot that may have worked in junior or college hockey.
Raddysh’s goal was a plus, but the Leafs need more from him on the power play. He didn’t put another shot on goal on Toronto’s five other man-advantage chances.
The power play, as a whole, left too much on the table. Toronto managed only one goal on six opportunities in the home loss, and it also wasted a 4-on-3 chance before Cole Caufield scored the overtime winner for Montreal.
The sloppier issues were just as obvious. The Leafs were charged with 19 giveaways in the overtime loss, while Montreal had seven.
A bad line change on Caufield’s winner opened the door for a quick Canadiens transition, and Toronto never got set. Those kinds of mistakes hurt the Leafs in games that went beyond regulation in 2025-26, and they’ll need to clean them up fast.
McKenna also picked up a teaching-point penalty in the offensive zone early in the first period in Toronto, right after a scoring chance. It was the kind of stick infraction that stops momentum and drives coaches crazy.
The losses won’t define the Maple Leafs’ season, but they did give Hiller and his staff a clear list of what needs sharpening. Matthews looked healthy.
McKenna showed real promise. The rest needs work.
In Other News...
Matthews Gave Leafs Fans One Reason To Exhale In Montreal
Auston Matthews gave Maple Leafs fans something to track in an otherwise rough split-squad preseason night in Montreal, where Toronto dropped both games and had to settle for smaller victories in the individual performances. Matthews looked closer to his usual self with noticeable speed and an assist, while Darren Raddysh provided the clubs lone goal and rookie Gavin McKenna flashed the sort of playmaking that can stand out even in a preseason setting.
For a Leafs team still sorting through early impressions, the point was less about the results than the signs underneath them. Matthews pace was the biggest takeaway, and McKennas creativity offered another encouraging note, even with a penalty mixed in. It was the kind of evaluative night that leaves the standings untouched but gives the coaching staff and the fan base a little more to chew on. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Fringe Forward Made An Early Statement In Montreal
Michael Pezzetta wasted little time making his presence felt in Montreal while skating with the Maple Leafs B-team. In a game featuring fringe players and prospects because Torontos main roster was elsewhere, Pezzetta dropped the gloves with Canadiens player Lucas Condotta and was ejected afterward, a flashpoint that fit the tone of a matchup built more on auditions and edge than star power.
The scuffling did not stop there, either. Shortly after Pezzettas fight, teammate Teddy Blueger also got into one in the same game, adding another layer of nastiness to a night that already had a distinctly old-school feel. For Leafs players trying to leave a mark with limited opportunities, these are the kinds of moments that can matter just as much as any shift in the offensive zone. [Read more 🡒]
Jim Hiller Saw Promise In The Leafs But One Clear Problem Too
After the Maple Leafs preseason loss to the Canadiens, Jim Hiller came away seeing both the kind of early signs a coach wants and the kind of issues that tend to linger if they are not cleaned up quickly. He pointed to Gavin McKennas good start and liked what he saw from Auston Matthews, especially his skating and the way he carried an offensive threat, which at least gave Toronto some encouraging takeaways from a game that did not go its way.
Still, Hiller sounded just as focused on the gaps as the positives, especially the teams skating without the puck, an area that can quietly decide preseason games and, later, more meaningful ones. He also addressed Sergei Bobrovskys playing-time management, another reminder that these exhibition games are about more than the final score as the Leafs sort through how their pieces fit and what needs sharpening before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]