Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews sees a breakout coming for Gavin McKenna after the 2026 No. 1 pick notched his first NHL goal Tuesday.
"When you go a few games and you haven't found the scoresheet, it's tough," Matthews said after Toronto's thrilling 5-4 overtime win against the Nashville Predators. "It can weigh on you. But at the same time, I think he just kept sticking with it, and obviously he found it tonight. I think you're gonna see him go on a bit of a tear here now because that kind of weight's lifted off your shoulders and you can kinda just go focus and go play."
McKenna recorded his first NHL point with an assist on the Leafs' opening goal and then found the back of the net himself on a feed from Matthews later in the second period. The 18-year-old had gone without a point in his first three games.
"It was great, it was great," Matthews said of seeing McKenna find twine. "He's been playing great. It can be tough when you don't score for a little bit. Made a nice play in the D-zone there, (John Tavares) goes down and scores. Just kind of gives you a little boost. Scores a goal and gives you another little boost. He's got all the confidence in the world in himself, in the best way possible. When you find the back of the net, it obviously helps. It was great to see him get that moment and enjoy that. It's very well deserved."
During Matthews' maiden NHL campaign in 2016-17, he famously scored four goals in his debut before enduring a 13-game goal drought soon afterward.
McKenna called Tuesday's goal "a big monkey off the back." The Whitehorse, Yukon, native tallied 15 goals and 51 points in 35 games last season at Penn State, and he produced 41 goals and 129 points in 56 contests with the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers two years ago.
