Auston Matthews capped a remarkable comeback with the overtime winner as the Toronto Maple Leafs erased a three-goal deficit to defeat the Nashville Predators 5-4 on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena. The captain struck at 4:46 of the extra frame, converting a William Nylander feed to complete a rally sparked by the debut goal of 2025 first-overall selection Gavin McKenna.
McKenna Announces Arrival in Style
The 18-year-old centre, drafted first overall just months ago, needed only his second NHL shift to register his first professional point — the primary assist on John Tavares’s second-period strike that ignited the Toronto fightback. He then buried his maiden goal 61 seconds after Steven Stamkos had restored Nashville’s two-goal cushion, ripping a Matthews pass high past Juuse Saros at 14:31 of the middle frame before dropping to one knee in celebration.
McKenna finished with a goal and an assist in 14:22 of ice time, becoming the youngest Maple Leaf to record a multi-point game since Matthews himself in 2016. The poise was unmistakable.
“He doesn’t play like a teenager,” Tavares said post-game. “The way he processes the game, finds quiet ice, makes plays under pressure — it’s rare for anyone, let alone a kid in his second game.”
Stamkos Climbs the All-Time Ladder
While the result went against Nashville, Steven Stamkos authored a personal milestone evening. The 34-year-old forward scored twice, his first-period power-play opener moving him past Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla into 17th place on the NHL’s all-time goals list with 626. His second, a trademark one-timer from the left circle, made it 4-2 early in the third.
Stamkos also became just the third active player to reach 100 career game-opening goals, joining Alex Ovechkin (154) and Sidney Crosby (127) in exclusive company.
“Not the outcome we wanted, obviously,” Stamkos said. “But to hit those marks in front of family and friends — my parents were in the building — that’s special. Just wish we’d found a way to close it out.”
Third-Period Drama and a Captain’s Finish
Jack Roslovic levelled the contest at 8:54 of the final period, going bar-down on Saros after a slick give-and-go with Nylander. The goal forced overtime, where Matthews — who finished with three assists in regulation alongside his winner — ended it decisively.
Anthony Stolarz made 21 saves in the Toronto net, several of them high-danger stops in the first period when the Predators built their 3-0 lead through Stamkos and a Nils Hoglander brace. Saros turned aside 33 shots in a losing cause.
Why it Matters
Toronto’s resilience — and McKenna’s instant impact — signals a potentially dangerous dimension to a Maple Leafs attack already built around elite talent. Overcoming a three-goal hole against a structured, veteran Nashville side demonstrates mental fortitude that has often eluded this core in spring. For the Predators, Stamkos’s historic night is tempered by a third-period collapse that exposes defensive fragility; blowing multi-goal leads cannot become a pattern if Nashville harbours playoff ambitions in a brutal Central Division.
