Gavin McKenna’s first NHL goal arrived in the middle of a comeback that turned a difficult Toronto night into a milestone win.
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The 18-year-old No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft scored and added an assist Tuesday as the Toronto Maple Leafs erased a 3-0 deficit and defeated the Nashville Predators 5-4 in overtime at Scotiabank Arena.
Auston Matthews finished the comeback with 14 seconds remaining in overtime, converting a rebound after William Nylander’s initial shot was stopped. Matthews also had three assists, while Nylander produced a goal and two assists.
McKenna breaks through
McKenna entered the game without a point in his first three NHL appearances. His first assist came at 4:56 of the second period, when he moved the puck to John Tavares before Tavares carried through the neutral zone and scored to begin Toronto’s recovery.
McKenna then scored his first NHL goal at 14:31 of the second. Taking a pass from Matthews near the right boards, he fired from above the right faceoff circle and beat Juuse Saros high to the far side. The goal cut Nashville’s lead to 4-3.
Toronto tied the game midway through the third when Jack Roslovic finished another Matthews setup. Nylander appeared to score a go-ahead goal later in the period, but Nashville successfully challenged the play for offside.
Predators’ early lead disappears
Nashville built its 3-0 advantage with two power-play goals in the first period and another early in the second. Steven Stamkos and Nils Höglander each scored twice for the Predators. Ryan O’Reilly recorded the 900th point of his NHL career with an assist.
Saros made 32 saves, while Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz stopped 21 shots. The Maple Leafs improved to 2-2-0, with all four of their games decided by one goal.
Matthews’ winning goal was the 430th of his career, moving him past Bill Guerin into ninth place among U.S.-born NHL players.
Why the first goal matters
McKenna’s two-point night offered the first statistical reward for a rookie already handling the attention attached to being the top overall pick. His contribution was not cosmetic: both points came during the comeback, and his goal turned a two-goal game into a one-goal game before the second intermission.
The result also showed Toronto can recover after special-teams trouble. Nashville’s first two goals came with the man advantage, but the Maple Leafs created enough sustained pressure to finish with 37 shots and force overtime.
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Reporting by AskNovus Editorial Team.