Maple Leafs Rally From 3–0 Down to Beat Predators 5–4 in Overtime
TORONTO — October 6, 2026
The Toronto Maple Leafs produced a dramatic comeback at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night, overcoming a three-goal deficit before Auston Matthews scored the overtime winner with 14 seconds remaining, lifting Toronto to a thrilling 5–4 victory over the Nashville Predators.
The victory moved Toronto to 2–2–0 on the young season and continued a remarkable trend: all four of the Leafs’ games have been decided by a single goal.
First Period — Predators Take Control
Nashville came out aggressively and built a 2–0 lead.
Steven Stamkos opened the scoring at 7:13 on the power play, converting a rebound.
Just under two minutes later, Nils Höglander doubled the Predators’ advantage.
Toronto struggled to generate sustained offensive pressure, while Anthony Stolarz was forced to deal with a heavy Nashville attack.
Second Period — Leafs Fight Back
Höglander scored his second of the night at 3:03, pushing Nashville’s lead to 3–0.
That was the turning point.
John Tavares finally got Toronto on the board at 4:56, cutting toward the net before beating Juuse Saros.
Then William Nylander made it 3–2 at 6:58 on the power play.
Stamkos answered at 13:30 to restore Nashville’s two-goal advantage, but Toronto immediately responded.
At 14:31, highly touted rookie Gavin McKenna scored the first NHL goal of his career, firing a shot past Saros to make it 4–3.
McKenna also recorded his first NHL assist earlier in the game, giving him his first multi-point performance.
Third Period — Toronto Completes the Comeback
The Leafs kept pressing and finally tied the game at 8:54.
Jack Roslovic took a pass from Matthews and finished from close range, bringing Toronto level at 4–4.
Nylander appeared to give Toronto its first lead of the night later in the period, but the goal was overturned following a successful Nashville offside challenge.
That sent the game to overtime.
Overtime — Matthews Finishes It
The overtime period delivered end-to-end action, including a major Toronto opportunity that Saros stopped.
Then, with only 14 seconds remaining, Matthews found the rebound of a Nylander shot and fired it home to complete the comeback.
Leafs Standouts
Auston Matthews: 1 goal, 3 assists — 4 points
William Nylander: 1 goal, 2 assists — 3 points
Gavin McKenna: 1 goal, 1 assist — first NHL goal and first multi-point game
Jack Roslovic: 1 goal, 1 assist
John Tavares: 1 goal
Anthony Stolarz: 21 saves
Historic Night for McKenna
The No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, McKenna entered the game without a point through his first three NHL appearances.
He changed that in a major way Tuesday.
His first NHL goal and first assist helped ignite Toronto’s comeback and gave Leafs fans an early glimpse of what the highly regarded young forward can bring to the lineup.
Matthews Reaches Another Milestone
Matthews’ overtime goal was also significant historically.
The goal moved him past Bill Guerin for ninth place among U.S.-born NHL players in career goals, giving an already spectacular night another milestone.
Three Stars
1. Auston Matthews — Toronto
Four points, including the overtime winner.
2. Gavin McKenna — Toronto
First NHL goal, first NHL assist and first multi-point game.
3. William Nylander — Toronto
Three points and a major offensive presence throughout the comeback.
What’s Next
The Maple Leafs now head out on the road for a three-game trip, beginning Thursday night in Vegas.
