Maple Leafs 5, Predators 4 (OT): Matthews at 14 Seconds, McKenna's First

October 6, 2026 - Toronto - It was 3-0 Nashville early in the second. It was 4-2 after Steven Stamkos scored his second. Then Gavin McKenna wired one from above the right dot, the first NHL goal for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 Draft, and Scotiabank Arena had a game again. Overtime needed 4:46. Auston Matthews put in the rebound with 14 seconds left.

The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Nashville Predators 5-4 in overtime. Toronto is 2-2-0. All four of its games have been one-goal games, the NHL recap said. Nashville is 1-1-1. Shots were 37-25 Toronto. Attendance was 18,792.

Matthews had a goal and three assists. William Nylander had a goal and two assists. Stamkos and Nils Hoglander each scored twice. Anthony Stolarz stopped 21 of 25. Juuse Saros stopped 32 of 37.

3-0, the kind Stamkos did not want to give back

Stamkos opened it at 7:13 of the first on the power play, a rebound of Matthew Wood from Roman Josi. The AP recap said it was his 626th career goal, past Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla into 17th all time, and his 100th game-opening goal. Hoglander made it 2-0 at 9:08, tucking a rebound off the end boards with Stolarz out of position. Adam Wilsby had the first assist and is not seeded.

Hoglander scored again at 3:03 of the second, chipping a rebound after Filip Forsberg drove the net. 3-0. Stamkos told NHL.com a 3-0 lead should be a game you close if you want to be a playoff team, and that penalties let Toronto's good players feel the puck.

John Tavares got Toronto on the board at 4:56, a rush shot from the left dot after McKenna's first NHL point, an assist. Stolarz got the second helper. Nylander made it 3-2 at 6:58 on the power play, stuffing a Matthews rebound. Kirill Marchenko had the other assist.

Stamkos restored a two-goal lead at 13:30 from Ryan O'Reilly and Brady Skjei. The NHL recap said O'Reilly's assist was his 900th career point. 4-2. Sixty-one seconds later McKenna scored from Matthews and Jack Roslovic. Toronto coach Jim Hiller called it a goal-scorer's goal. McKenna told NHL.com the monkey was off his back.

Offside takes one back. Matthews takes the last one.

Roslovic tied it at 8:54 of the third, in alone from Matthews, over Saros's glove. Nylander appeared to make it 5-4 at 11:49. Nashville challenged offside. The goal came off. Nylander told NHL.com he felt in the locker room they were going to come back.

Matthews ended it at 4:46 of overtime, bottom of the right circle, Nylander's rebound. Hiller told NHL.com it was a special night for Matthews even before the winner. Matthews: work, winning battles, first on pucks.

Nashville visits Montreal on Thursday. Toronto visits Vegas the same night.

AthX Engine on a 3-0 hole that paid in OT

AthX Engine (our projection and scoring system) scored Matthews at 14.40 (one goal, three assists, four shots, one block). Stamkos is 10.80. Nylander is 10.10. McKenna is 9.40. Hoglander is 9.20. Roslovic is 8.90. Saros's overtime-loss line is 7.30 (32 saves, five goals against, plus the overtime-loss credit). Stolarz's win is 6.60.

Toronto's team line is 19.00. Nashville's overtime-loss line is 9.80.

Fantasy points measure the box. Price is what traders will pay for a Maple Leafs captain who just went plus-four points in a comeback, and for a Predators club that led 3-0 and left with one point. They are not the same number.

Track Matthews, McKenna, Stamkos, and both clubs on the marketplace.

*Sources: AP recap (ESPN), ESPN box score, NHL.com recap, NHL.com scoreboard. AthX Engine fantasy points scored from NHL gamecenter box 2026020044. Information only; not financial advice.*