5 Takeaways From Maple Leafs’ 5-4 Comeback Win Over Predators

The Toronto Maple Leafs were able to pick up a 5-4 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday (Oct. 6) in what was an incredible comeback victory.

In this article, we will take a quick look at some takeaways from their victory.

Gavin McKenna Scores First NHL Goal

The first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Gavin McKenna, was drawing some early criticism from fans and media for going three games without notching a point. In the morning scrum before the game against the Predators, McKenna mentioned that his “welcome to the NHL” moment was having zero points in three games, and alluded to feeling the pressure from the media.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to wait any longer, as he got his first assist on a goal scored by John Tavares, and was able to add his first career goal later in the game.

With two points through four games, hopefully, it takes a bit of pressure off of the youngster.

Maple Leafs Resilience Showcased With Comeback

The Maple Leafs were down 3-0 early in the second period, and it seemed as though they were simply surviving after that to try to make sure it wouldn’t be a blow out. Instead, they flipped the script and found a way to come out with two points.

Tavares and William Nylander got things started to bring the game within one, but a goal from Steven Stamkos made it 4-2, establishing the Predators’ two-goal lead again.

McKenna brought the Maple Leafs back within one heading into the third period, and newcomer Jack Roslovic got his first as a member of the Maple Leafs to tie the game at four, and force overtime.

In overtime, Matthews found the back of the net, with his first goal and fourth point of the evening, helping them grind out a much-deserved win.

Auston Matthews Looked Elite

With a goal and three assists, Matthews is finally showing signs of being his former self. It was only one game, but he is over a point-per-game average through the Maple Leafs’ first four games, and he seems to be more confident under new head coach Jim Hiller.

Some fans were concerned that Matthews had dropped off to a point where he wouldn’t be able to produce at an elite level offensively anymore, but a strong start to the campaign has silenced doubters, for now.

Maple Leafs Strong on the Dot

One of the biggest positives for the Maple Leafs was how strong they were on the faceoff dot, winning 34 of 53 faceoffs taken, coming out to a 64.2% win rate.

While perhaps a lost art in the NHL, winning faceoffs is still an important part of the game, and considering the Maple Leafs had to find a way to come back late in the game, being strong on the dot was one of the key factors that helped them do that.

Colton Sissons, Jake McCabe & Nick Paul Have Physical Evenings

A quick shoutout to Colton Sissons and Jake McCabe, who had four hits, and Nick Paul, who had three hits.

Adding a physical component to the depth of their lineup seemed to be a key focus for the Maple Leafs, based on how they constructed their roster this offseason, so seeing those three step up and make an impact on the game, since they didn’t get on the score sheet, is a positive thing.

The Maple Leafs are back in action on Thursday (Oct. 8) when they face the Vegas Golden Knights.

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