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Auston Matthews delivered a stunning overtime winner to cap a remarkable comeback, as the Toronto Maple Leafs erased a three-goal deficit and defeated the Nashville Predators 5-4 on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena. Matthews scored at the 4:46 mark of overtime, taking a pass from William Nylander to seal a chaotic and dramatic victory that also featured a historic milestone from Steven Stamkos and a memorable professional debut goal from top prospect Gavin McKenna.
Leafs Dig Deep After Slow Start
Nashville controlled the early stages of the game. Stamkos opened the scoring at 7:13 of the first period on a power play, after goaltender Anthony Stolarz made two crucial stops to keep the deficit manageable. The Predators then doubled their lead at 9:08 when Nils Hoglander collected a rebound off the end boards and slotted it home.
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Hoglander struck again at 3:03 of the second period with another tap-in, pushing Nashville’s lead to 3-0. Toronto, however, refused to fold. John Tavares got the Leafs on the board at 4:56 of the middle frame, finishing off a rush play with McKenna picking up the primary assist. Nylander then converted on the power play at 6:58 to make it 3-2.
Stamkos restored the two-goal cushion at 13:30 of the second. However, just 61 seconds later, McKenna answered with his first NHL goal, ripping a shot upstairs past Juuse Saros at 14:31. The 18-year-old dropped to one knee in celebration after the milestone moment. McKenna also added an assist on the Tavares goal, giving him two points in his professional debut.
McKenna and Stamkos Both Make History
Stamkos reached a significant personal milestone during the game. His first-period goal — the 626th of his career — moved him past Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla on the NHL’s all-time scoring list, placing him 17th overall. He also became just the third active player to score 100 game-opening goals in his career, joining Alex Ovechkin, who leads with 154, and Sidney Crosby at 127. Dave Andreychuk currently sits 16th in NHL history with 640 career goals.
Meanwhile, McKenna’s debut was equally noteworthy. The number one overall pick recorded his first NHL point on the Tavares goal before adding his first professional goal shortly after. His performance gave Toronto fans an early glimpse of the talent the organization selected at the top of the draft.
Overtime Drama Ends With Matthews Winner
Jack Roslovic tied the game at 8:54 of the third period, beating Saros with a sharp bar-down shot to force overtime. The extra period proved wild. Toronto famously failed to convert on a 3-on-0 rush before Matthews finally ended the night. He took a feed from Nylander and fired past Saros to give the Leafs the victory.
Matthews finished the night with four points, including his overtime winner and three assists in regulation. Nylander contributed a goal and two assists, while Roslovic added a goal and one assist. Stolarz was solid throughout, stopping 21 shots to help Toronto improve to 2-2-0 on the season. Saros made 33 saves in a losing effort for Nashville, who fall to 1-1-1.
Also of note, Colton Sissons suited up for Toronto after spending parts of 11 seasons with Nashville. The 32-year-old winger played for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2025-26 before signing with the Maple Leafs this offseason. Both teams return to action Thursday, with Nashville visiting the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto traveling to face the Vegas Golden Knights.
