3 Takeaways From Maple Leafs’ 4-1 Preseason Loss to Canadiens

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost their preseason opener 4-1 against the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night.

Darren Raddysh scored Toronto’s lone goal on the power play at 16:39 of the second period. Sergei Bobrovsky made 10 saves on 11 shots, and Anthony Stolarz made 15 saves on 17 shots, as the two netminders each played a period and a half.

While it can be deemed a negative that Toronto’s A-Team lost to Montreal’s B-Team, all in all, we saw what we needed to see out of the most important players on the roster.

Gavin McKenna Impresses in Maple Leafs Debut

Heading into Saturday night, the debut of Gavin McKenna was the topic at hand, and he did not disappoint. During the pre-game introductions, the 18-year-old was met with a loud ovation before the in-game announcer could even get out his place of birth. The anticipation was in the air, and the appreciation the fans already have for him was very clear.

“Super cool to know the fan base is behind me,” McKenna said. “It was a good start, a lot to build on. I created a bit, but also had a couple of turnovers, which happens with nerves. I’ll remember this day forever” (from ‘Why Gavin McKenna made a good first impression in Maple Leafs loss,’ Toronto Sun, Sept. 19, 2026).

Overall, the kid impressed. He played 23:27, which included power-play time and the 6-on-5 situation at the end of the night with the Leafs down 2-1. In short, he did not look out of place at all. Paired with William Nylander and John Tavares, McKenna kept up with the play just fine, looked nimble with the puck, and created scoring chances for both himself and his teammates.

His vision was apparent in the way he carried the puck up the ice and made several crisp passes over the course of the game. While they may be easing him in when it comes to the special teams and his spot in the lineup, the easing in may not last long.

His skating ability and hockey IQ are clearly at the NHL level, and it was noted by Auston Matthews and head coach Jim Hiller that he was asking questions throughout the evening, which is something you want to see from anyone in a new role, professional athlete or not.

“He’s not shy, he carries himself with great confidence,” Matthews said. “But very humble and not afraid to ask questions.”

“In a game where I didn’t think there was a lot of offence from either team, he was in on three of four chances, so you’ll take that every day,” head coach Hiller said. “If I say one thing to him, it’s just to be a little bit closer to the puck. We want him to have the puck. Sometimes in the NHL, you got to get right there and surround it, and then make plays out of that, rather than waiting to see if somebody can get it to you. So, he’ll figure that part out of the game out.”

He did take a penalty early in the night and had a handful of turnovers, but as a whole, it was an encouraging performance.

Auston Matthews Looks Healthy Ahead of Pivotal Season

When talking about certain players this time of the year, it’s important to note that it is just the preseason. Matthews is definitely one of those players. However, after a couple of injury-plagued seasons and noted struggles offensively, the captain’s preseason debut should be marked as a success.

Matthews showed off his signature wrist shot and snap shot frequently, and showed bursts of speed that we haven’t seen in a while, especially last season. He looked engaged and ready to play, despite Saturday being an exhibition game.

It seems clear that the coaching staff is going to give Jack Roslovic every opportunity to be on the first line with Matthews and Matthew Knies, and while there were moments where you could see the potential, it was also evident that the trio will need more time to gel.

Last night’s game wasn’t a prophecy of Matthews scoring 50-plus and leading the Maple Leafs to a championship. But his health was, and will be, a massive topic, and he looked ready to go.

Matthews had six shots in 21:20.

Sergei Bobrovsky & Darren Raddysh Show Flash

Similar to Matthews, Bobrovsky doesn’t have anything to prove in the preseason. That being said, a big conversation this summer was the fact that the veteran netminder’s play has diminished over the last couple of years, reaching an apex last season amidst an injury-riddled campaign for the Florida Panthers. Will he return to his Hall-of-Fame self, or was that a sign of what’s to come?

Last night, Bobrovsky looked calm and poised, especially during a handful of short-handed rushes off of Maple Leafs’ power-play turnovers. Yes, the Canadiens put a less-than-NHL roster out on the ice, but Bobrovsky rose to the occasion nonetheless.

Raddysh, the free-agent prize from July 1, opened the Leafs’ preseason scoring with his first goal wearing the blue and white with a power-play goal in the second period. You could see his puck-moving ability, and while there were moments where his power-play quarterbacking was effective, the power play as a whole looked disjointed, so it’s hard to take anything away from that.

Other Notes From Saturday Night

1. Chris Tanev is coming off a season that saw him play just 11 games due to a concussion, a spinal issue, and a core muscle injury that forced him to have season-ending surgery. Last night showed no signs of a slow start, and it was good to see him back in the lineup.

“Tanny looks awesome out there,” Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe said. “His presence is certainly felt within our group.”

2. Marshall Rifai dropped the gloves with Florian Xhekaj after the Canadiens winger cross-checked Matthews and hit Nylander. Xhekaj seemed to have won the fight, but Rifai held his own and didn’t look out of place.

“That’s appreciated,” Matthews said. “Guys sticking up for each other, that’s what it’s all about.”

3. The Maple Leafs’ B-Team lost to the Canadiens’ A-Team 4-3 in overtime in Montreal on Saturday night. Colton Sissons scored on the power play with assists from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Easton Cowan. Artur Akhtyamov stopped 13 of 15 shots, while Samuel Hlavaj stopped 13 of 15 as well in relief.