Leafs 5, Predators 4 (OT): Three-goal comeback finished by Matthews Discussion
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Final/OT, Oct 6 at Scotiabank Arena: Maple Leafs 5, Predators 4. Goals by period: NSH 2-2-0-0, TOR 0-3-1-1. Shots: NSH 11-7-6-1 (25), TOR 8-13-12-4 (37). Matthews scored the OT winner at 4:46.
Toronto erased a 3–0 second-period deficit and beat Nashville 5–4 in OT on Matthews' goal, out-shooting the Predators 37–25 overall.
Source data: NHL API game summary, team stats and boxscore for game 2026020044. Official reports: event summary, shot summary, play-by-play. Earlier in this series: the game preview.
Goal by goal
- 1st, 7:13 – Steven Stamkos (NSH), power play, 1–0. Wrist shot, assisted by Michael Wood and Roman Josi. It came 1:42 after Morgan Rielly's tripping minor at 5:31, and it was Nashville's only power-play chance of the night. They scored on it.
- 1st, 9:08 – Nick Hoglander (NSH), even strength, 2–0. Backhand, assisted by Adam Wilsby and Filip Forsberg. Nashville had a 2–0 lead after 11 shots to Toronto's 8 in the period.
- 2nd, 3:03 – Hoglander (NSH), even strength, 3–0. His second backhand of the game, assisted by Forsberg and Matthew Bourque. Toronto's first 14 minutes of the game had produced 0 goals.
- 2nd, 4:56 – John Tavares (TOR), even strength, 3–1. Wrist shot, 1:53 after the third Nashville goal. Assists went to Gavin McKenna and goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who was credited with a primary-or-secondary assist on the play.
- 2nd, 6:58 – William Nylander (TOR), power play, 3–2. Wrist shot with the Leafs on a 5-on-4 after Nashville's hooking minor at 5:31 of the period (1:27 into the advantage). Assists: Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko.
- 2nd, 13:30 – Stamkos (NSH), even strength, 4–2. Wrist shot, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly and Brady Skjei. This restored a two-goal Nashville lead.
- 2nd, 14:31 – McKenna (TOR), even strength, 4–3. Wrist shot just 1:01 after Stamkos, assisted by Matthews and Jack Roslovic. Toronto went to the second intermission down one.
- 3rd, 8:54 – Roslovic (TOR), even strength, 4–4. Wrist shot, assisted by Matthews and Nylander. Toronto's fourth straight goal.
- OT, 4:46 – Matthews (TOR), 5–4. Wrist shot, assisted by Nylander. The situation code on the goal shows 3-on-3, with both teams at three skaters. It was Toronto's fifth straight goal and Matthews' fourth point of the night.
Takeaways
- Shot volume swung after the early deficit. Nashville out-shot Toronto 11–8 in the first and had a 3–0 lead at 3:03 of the second. From there Toronto out-shot Nashville 29–14 over the rest of the game (13–7 in the second, 12–6 in the third, 4–1 in overtime) and outscored them 5–1.
- Goaltending on both sides was shaky. Stolarz finished 21 for 25 (.840) and Saros 32 for 37 (.865). Stolarz allowed all 4 goals on Nashville's first 18 shots, then stopped the last 7 he saw across the third and overtime. Saros stopped 5 of 6 on the penalty kill. Matthews' OT winner and the 4–4 goal both came with Saros' team trailing in shots.
- Special teams were close to even. Toronto went 1-for-3 on the power play, with chances at the end of the first period (Marchessault's tripping minor at 19:47) and in the second period (Colton's cross-checking minor at 15:06) that did not produce goals. Nashville went 1-for-1. Nashville took 3 minors to Toronto's 1 (6 PIM to 2).
- Faceoffs and giveaways. Toronto won 34 of 53 faceoffs (64.2%), and Tavares won 16 of 17 by his boxscore percentage (94.1%). Nashville had 20 giveaways to Toronto's 14.
- Matthews' night. He was on the ice for 25:09, the most of any forward in the game, took 4 shots, and had 1 goal and 3 assists, assisting on the McKenna, Roslovic and Nylander goals.
This game is not covered by xG or Corsi-type data in the API. For those, see Natural Stat Trick or MoneyPuck.