Matthews, McKenna Lift Maple Leafs Past Predators in Overtime
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Auston Matthews records four points and Gavin McKenna nets his first career goal in a 5-4 comeback victory.
The Toronto Maple Leafs secured a 5-4 overtime victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, fueled by a dominant performance from Auston Matthews and a milestone for rookie Gavin McKenna, according to Sportsnet.
Matthews finished the night with four points, including the game-winning goal in overtime. He also provided the assist on a second-period goal by McKenna, who scored his first career NHL goal against Predators goaltender Juuse Saros, as reported by CityNews Toronto. The 18-year-old McKenna, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft, also recorded an assist on a goal scored by William Nylander.
Prior to the game, McKenna told CityNews Toronto that he viewed a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators as his strongest professional performance thus far. Entering the matchup, the Whitehorse native had averaged 14 minutes and 32 seconds of ice time over three games, recording three shots on target and a minus-3 rating.
The win comes amid a significant off-season for Toronto. CityNews Toronto reports the team added defenseman Darren Raddysh, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, and acquired winger Kirill Marchenko just one day before the start of the regular season.