Gavin McKenna scores first NHL goal as Leafs rally in OT
Gavin McKenna, the top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, scored his first NHL goal on Tuesday and added an assist. His Toronto Maple Leafs came back from three goals down to beat Nashville 5-4. Auston Matthews scored the winner with 14 seconds left in overtime and had four points.
Gavin McKenna finally got on the board. The 18-year-old No. 1 pick scored his first NHL goal and had his first assist Tuesday night as the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied past the Nashville Predators 5-4 in overtime, NHL.com and AP reported.
McKenna, playing his fourth game, took a pass from Auston Matthews in the second period and beat goalie Juuse Saros with a high shot. "A big monkey off the back, that one felt good," he said. "That's a goal I'll obviously remember forever." Coach Jim Hiller called it "a goal-scorer's goal" from a player who is a playmaker by trade.
Toronto had to dig out of a deep hole. Nashville led 3-0 early in the second period and 4-2 later in the frame, with Steven Stamkos and Nils Hoglander each scoring twice. McKenna's goal cut it to 4-3, and Jack Roslovic tied it midway through the third. William Nylander seemed to put Toronto ahead, but the goal was taken back after Nashville won an offside challenge. Matthews then won it with 14 seconds left in overtime, finishing with a goal and three assists.
The night came with a few milestones. McKenna became the youngest Maple Leaf to record his first point since Drake Berehowsky in 1990, NHL.com said. Stamkos became just the third active player with 100 goals that opened the scoring in a game, joining Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Nashville's Ryan O'Reilly picked up his 900th career point.
McKenna, who is from Yukon, played college hockey at Penn State last season. Toronto missed the playoffs last spring for the first time in a decade, then beat the lottery odds to draft him first overall in June, AP said. The Leafs are now 2-2-0, and every one of their games has been decided by one goal.
Elsewhere Tuesday, Alexis Lafreniere had a hat trick and an assist as the New York Rangers beat the Islanders for their fourth straight win. Taylor Hall scored twice as Carolina held off Montreal, and Dylan Larkin scored in his season debut as Detroit beat Ottawa for its first win.
What we know: McKenna has his first goal and first assist.
What we don't: Whether Toronto's big comeback carries into its road trip.
Where outlets agree NHL.com and AP both report McKenna beat Saros with a high shot off a Matthews pass in Toronto's 5-4 overtime win.
Where they differ AP says McKenna's assist came on a William Nylander goal, while NHL.com's recap says he set up John Tavares for Toronto's first goal.