Matthews scores in fourth straight opener, helps Maple Leafs top Senators
via NHL.com
Auston Matthews became the fourth player in NHL history to score in each of his of first four season openers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-3 at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday.
Matthews, who scored twice, joined Dit Clapper (Boston Bruins, 1927-30), Dave Andreychuk (Buffalo Sabres, 1982-85) and Sergei Fedorov (Detroit Red Wings, 1990-93).
“I really try to score every game, so I don’t know what to say (about the record),” Matthews said. “[William Nylander] made an unbelievable pass on the first goal, and then [Mitchell Marner] with eyes in the back of his head on the power play, it was an amazing pass and I just tried to get it off as quick as possible.”
Ilya Mikheyev had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut, Frederik Gauthier and Trevor Moore scored, and Frederik Andersen made 23 saves for the Maple Leafs, who had lost the previous five times they opened the season against the Senators. Tyson Barrie had two assists in his Toronto debut.
“It was a perfect start for them. We were nervous and they banged it in our net,” Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said of the Senators taking a 1-0 lead 25 seconds into the first period. “Then we got three power plays in a row, we were borderline dysfunctional, we couldn’t move. I thought once we got through that and were down 1-0, we came out and just played.”
They said it
“Anyone who says momentum doesn’t matter in pro sports, there’s a pretty good example right there that it does. It’s a completely different game, the makeup of the game changes for sure. You go from being on a high to a bit of a letdown, and next thing you know, they pop one in and a second. But at the same time, that’s not just bad luck. That’s on us, we need to respond to that, be mature and work our way through those ups and downs.” — Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki on Ottawa having a goal overturned
“I thought it was good. Obviously it was not the start we wanted, but I thought we bounced back and played hard. I thought there were periods of the game where we really controlled the play. It was a good first night.” — Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly
Need to know
Brown’s assist on Tkachuk’s goal was his 100th NHL point. … Tkachuk’s goal was the fastest in a Senators season opener. Kyle Turris scored at 30 seconds during a 3-1 win at the Sabres on Oct. 8, 2015. … Matthews has nine goals in season openers, tying him with Babe Dye for the most in Maple Leafs history. … Dmytro Timashov got his first NHL point by assisting on Gauthier’s goal. … Rasmus Sandin got his first NHL point by assisting on Moore’s goal. … John Tavares, who was named the Maple Leafs’ 25th captain prior to the game, had an assist. … Forward Jason Spezza was a healthy scratch, but Babcock said he will make his Toronto debut Friday.
What’s next
Senators: Host the New York Rangers on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CITY, MSG, NHL.TV)
Maple Leafs: At the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday (7 p.m. ET; FS-O, TSN4, NHL.TV)
A debut to remember.
Congratulations, Ilya! #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/ghbLJiWS1x
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 3, 2019
High five ✋
Game Winning Numbers presented by @OntarioLottery. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/NGswGG0Mtu
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 3, 2019