TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 29: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Montréal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on September 29, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)
The Toronto Maple Leafs struggled to produce offence during the early stages of the regular season, but Tuesday showed what many were expecting.
The Maple Leafs scored only six goals in the first three contests; however, they struck for five in a three-goal comeback against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena, improving their record to 2-2-0.
The Maple Leafs were led by Auston Matthews on the route to their victory, as the Maple Leafs captain put up his best performance of the season, recording one goal and three assists. The Maple Leafs also got contributions from the 2026 first overall pick, Gavin McKenna, as he picked up both his first point and goal of his career.
Jim Hiller on Auston Matthews’ Performance
When speaking to the media postgame, Jim Hiller spoke on the emergence of Matthews, what led to this great performance and how he has played over the three games prior to Tuesday.
It really was for me. I thought he’s been really good the whole camp. You guys have been at practice. He’s working on every puck.” Hiller said on Tuesday night, when speaking about Auston Matthews. “But tonight, again, for me, it was just a little bit different. From a pure hockey perspective, to appreciate his game tonight, it was really a special night for him. Never mind that he scored the overtime winner. I’m not talking about that. Just his game, start to finish.”
Throughout the game on Tuesday, Hiller opted to pair Matthews with William Nylander as the Maple Leafs’ second line has struggled to generate offence at times, while Jack Roslovic has been a great complementary piece thus far. The move paid off as Nylander and Matthews assisted on Roslovic’s game-tying goal in the later stages of the third period.
“For me, the time has to be right, because sometimes you don’t want to overrate one line,” Hiller said. “They’re really strong players, and you like to have a little bit of balance. I thought they were both strong tonight at the same time, so I thought they could complement each other well.”
Maple Leafs Will Be Tested Early
As the Maple Leafs head on their first road trip of the season, the Maple Leafs will be tested playing three solid teams that include the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and Utah Mammoth before heading back to Toronto.
“We had some good looks offensively. We’ve had some, and we’ve been well documented for not scoring a lot,” Hiller said. “It should only be a matter of time when you got guys that can shoot the puck like that.”
On Tuesday night, McKenna also scored his first career goal, and Hiller also commented postgame on the goal and the feeling around the team.
“It was great. That goal was a goal scorer’s goal. We know he’s a playmaker. By trade, he’s a playmaker, but that was a goal scorer’s goal. Got his feet around it on the strong side, and he had some zip on it.”
“The guys were excited for him, but I think more importantly, it was a big goal in the hockey game. That’s the one you remember. It was really important. It wasn’t the first goal of the game. It was an important moment, and he came up big in an important moment. I like that.”
Nicholas Giannone Nicholas Giannone is a sports media and operations professional focused on hockey and baseball coverage, delivering news, analysis, and behind-the-scenes insight. Originally from Toronto, he pairs his Sports Management background at Albion College with hands-on experience in game day operations, broadcasting, and content creation. With aspirations of working in NHL management, Nicholas ultimately aims to become the General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. More about Nicholas Giannone
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Jim Hiller Reveals What Made Auston Matthews’ Performance So Special
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The Toronto Maple Leafs struggled to produce offence during the early stages of the regular season, but Tuesday showed what many were expecting.The Maple Leafs scored only six goals in the first three contests; however, they struck for five in a three-goal comeback against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena, improving their record […]
Jim Hiller Reveals What Made Auston Matthews’ Performance So Special