The Maple Leafs defeated the Nashville Predators 7-4 on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena. Wednesday is a day off for the team.
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Midway through the third period of Tuesday’s game, Easton Cowan intercepted an errant Predators pass in the neutral zone and quickly moved the puck up to Auston Matthews, who charged in on a 2-on-1 rush with Matthew Knies. The pair of Arizona natives made a couple passes before the Leafs captain potted what turned out to be the game-winning goal in a 7-4 victory over Nashville.
Credited with the second assist, Cowan picked up the first point of his promising NHL career. Matthews pointed at the 20-year-old winger as Cowan came over to celebrate with his linemates.
“He’s such a great guy,” Matthews told TSN moments after the game. “He brings a lot of fun energy to the group. And just the way he plays, I think he’s such a smart player and, obviously, he’s shown that he’s ready for this level, so pretty great to see him get that one. We’re super happy for him.”
MATTHEWS ➡️ MATTHEW ➡️ MATTHEWS!
A little give-and-go action between Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies puts the Maple Leafs up three! Easton Cowan also registers his first NHL point on the play. #LeafsOnTSN pic.twitter.com/oOHnGfz7lc
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 15, 2025
Matthews tapped Cowan on the head at the bench as others shouted encouragement.
“They were just like, ‘There it is,’ and, ‘Attaboy,’” Cowan told Leafs team host Ryan Leslie. “I mean, they’ve been so good to me, and this has been so much fun.”
Inside the dressing room after the game, defenceman Morgan Rielly, the team’s longest-tenured player, passed the player-of-the-game belt to the new kid on the block.
During an impressive training camp, Cowan slotted in mostly on the fourth line with Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz, who are both currently sidelined due to injury.
After sitting out the first two regular-season games as a healthy scratch, Cowan drew in on the top line for Monday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. The 2023 first-round pick didn’t look out of place and earned a second start on Tuesday.
And, based on the reviews, there’s a good bet Cowan will be riding shotgun beside Knies and Matthews again on Thursday when the New York Rangers come to town.
“He really supports the puck well with those guys,” coach Craig Berube said. “He makes a lot of a little plays that maybe go unnoticed to a lot of people, but I notice it. He’s a dog on a bone out there for me. He hounds everything, gets pucks back, strips people. He’s played well.”
Cowan didn’t pick up an assist on the play, but his work on the forecheck helped set up Toronto’s opening goal by Jake McCabe in the first period.
“He’s getting better every shift,” McCabe told TSN during an intermission interview. “He’s very cerebral out there, skates well, and is laying the body too. Every shift he’s getting a little bit more comfortable, a little bit more confident.”
Cowan, who stands 6-foot, packed on seven pounds of muscle during the summer to get up to 190 pounds. And, so far, he seems fine with the physicality of the NHL level.
“He played well again, back-to-back nights,” Berube said. “I wasn’t sure, but I thought he had another good game, so it’s good to see. It seems like that line’s forming some chemistry with him.”
Cowan seems unfazed on the ice, but acknowledged the last few days have been a whirlwind.
“Sometimes you’re in your hotel room and you’re just sitting back thinking, you know, you’re in the NHL,” the native of Mount Brydges, Ont. said. “It’s just kind of crazy. And then you play against Patrick Kane, you play against Steven Stamkos, so then it kind of hits you, you know what I mean? But, yeah, just super excited to get the win. I mean, that feels so good winning a game, and that’s what we want to do here, so we just want to keep it going.”
Cowan energizes Leafs with first career point, ‘dog-on-bone’ mentality Easton Cowan picked up his first career NHL point in his second game with the Leafs. “He’s a dog on a bone out there,” coach Craig Berube raved. “He hounds everything.” Cowan is fitting in well on the top line. “He’s such a smart player,” Auston Matthews said. “He’s shown that he’s ready for this level.”
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Berube met with William Nylander before Tuesday’s game and urged the winger to work harder to generate more attempts at the net. Nylander, who averaged 3.1 shots per game last season, had landed just three shots in the first three games this year and only one in 5-on-5 play.
Nylander didn’t want to go into detail when asked about his chat with the coach.
“That was just a good conversation,” Nylander said. “That’s about it.”
Clearly, the message was received. Nylander registered four shots and produced three points in the win against Nashville. Toronto’s second line with John Tavares between Matias Maccelli and Nylander looked dangerous throughout the night.
“Willy drove the line,” Berube said. “He was making good decisions, driving it deep, and doing what he does in the offensive zone. I thought they were responsible defensively. I was happy with the line. I thought they were very impactful.”
Nylander admits he hasn’t been at his best so far this season. He’s scored two goals through four games with both coming with the opposition goalie pulled for an extra attacker.
“I think it’s coming along,” he said of his game. “I mean, it’s always slow at the beginning of the season. So just, you know, getting that back.”
Nylander only scored twice on five shots in the first three games last season before finishing with 45 goals, which was second overall.
Nylander said it was “hard to explain” why the start of the season can be tough.
Nylander has started well in the past. Two years ago, he scored three goals on 13 shots in the first three games. The year before that it was two goals on 15 shots.
‘Always slow at beginning’: Nylander revs up after ‘good conversation’ with Berube After landing just three shots in the first three games, William Nylander was called out by coach Craig Berube. The Leafs winger responded with a four-shot, three-point performance in Tuesday’s win. “It’s coming along,” Nylander said. “I mean, it’s always slow at the beginning.”
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Veteran defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson produced a goal and two assists in Tuesday’s win.
“He just sees the ice extremely well,” said Tavares. “And obviously his puck skills are exceptional. It’s such a difference when a guy like him or, you know, our whole D-core is being really involved.”
Ekman-Larsson and Nylander pulled off a smooth passing play in the lead-up to Tavares’ goal on Tuesday.
Defenceman Jake McCabe also scored a goal against the Predators.
The Leafs finished last in goals from defencemen last season with only 21. Rielly scored in the opening game so Toronto is already up to three goals from the back end this year.
McCabe sees “tons” of room for growth in that department as the team starts its second season under Berube.
“That’s kind of our game is getting in on the forecheck, possessing the puck in the O-zone,” McCabe noted. “A big ingredient to that is us defencemen patrolling the blueline and getting pucks through to our forwards, causing chaos, and continuing to let them hunt.”
Five of Toronto’s six defencemen landed a shot on net against Nashville with Simon Benoit the lone exception. During Monday’s game against Detroit, four Leafs defencemen had multiple shots.
“The one thing about our D right now, I love that the puck goes up top and they’re shooting it,” said Berube.
The coach confirmed he is urging his defence to jump into the attack more this season.
“On the breakouts and coming out of the D zone, any opportunity we can get them up in the rush is a good play because you can catch people and get odd-man rushes,” he said.
Ekman-Larsson, who had four multi-point games last season, is certainly capable of doing it. He’s racked up 503 points in his 1,063-game career.
“I don’t think I’m focusing on that,” the 34-year-old stressed. “I know I have it in the bag if I need to but, I mean, it’s obviously a read out there. [There’s] a time and place for everything.”
Leafs defence eager to create more chaos after vintage Ekman-Larsson game Veteran defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson produced a goal and two assists in Tuesday’s win. Jake McCabe also scored against the Preds. The Leafs finished last in goals from defencemen last season and the team’s blueliners are eager to create more chaos this season.
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Cayden Primeau picked up the win in his first NHL game since Dec. 12, 2024.
“Oh, you know, that one felt good for sure,” he said with a sigh and a smile.
Primeau had only gone through three full practices with the Leafs since being picked up off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes last week.
“I was nervous,” the 26-year-old netminder admitted. “Not being able to play a pre-season game and not being able to have played a game with the group … [and just] trying to figure out how things were going to go.”
Primeau allowed four goals on 30 shots.
“He did what he had to do to get the job done,” Berube said.
“It feels good to get the win, but it wasn’t pretty at times,” Primeau acknowledged. “So, a lot of good things that I did, but a lot of things I can work on.”
Primeau struggled with the Montreal Canadiens last season (.836 save percentage in 11 NHL games) but was excellent with the Laval Rocket (.927 save percentage in 26 American Hockey League games).
“We had a good run in Laval last year, second half of the season, and, yeah, you know, I’ve just been working every day to get back here,” Primeau said.
He looked forward to checking in with father Keith Primeau, a former NHLer who grew up in Whitby, Ont. cheering for the Leafs, after the game. Cayden expected to have plenty of family in attendance for his Leafs debut, but it didn’t turn out that way.
“Not as many as I thought,” he said with a laugh. “It was my sister’s birthday. Yeah, she takes precedent.”
With Joseph Woll away from the team on personal leave, the Leafs are hoping Primeau will stabilize the backup position and allow Anthony Stolarz to get a breather here and there.
The Leafs have another back-to-back set next week so Primeau will likely be back between the pipes on Oct. 25 against the Buffalo Sabres.
‘It wasn’t pretty at times’ but Primeau overcomes nerves to win Leafs debut Cayden Primeau allowed four goals on 30 shots, but did enough to pick up the win in his Leafs debut on Tuesday. “It feels good to get the win, but it wasn’t pretty at times,” the 26-year-old said with a smile. It was Primeau’s first NHL appearance since Dec. 12, 2024. “That one felt good for sure,” he said.
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After watching his team’s 2-0 lead evaporate early in the second period on Tuesday, Berube took a timeout. The message?
“Just get back to playing the way we were in the first,” Ekman-Larsson said. “Moving the puck and helping each other out and staying connected as a unit out there. I think we got away from that early in the second, and it seems like that had been the case the last couple of games.”
What was Berube’s frustration level when he called timeout?
“Like a 70, 75,” he said with a smile. “Not too bad.”
Toronto also blew a 2-0 lead in the second period on Saturday night in Detroit.
“I’ve discussed it a number of times with you guys and the team,” Berube said. “Teams are always going to push when they’re down, and we just got to be better in understanding that. And in the second periods, for me, you got to be direct with the play and the puck. Line changes, your benches, all that matter, getting defencemen off, and all of the little things matter in the second period, and we got to get better at it.”
Nashville outshot Toronto 13-6 in the second period on Tuesday. The Leafs have given up double-digit shots against in three of the four middle stanzas so far this season.
Leafs’ stars break through in victory over Predators Auston Matthews scored a pair of goals, while John Tavares and William Nylander both finished with three points in the Maple Leafs second win of the season. The TSN Hockey panel breaks down a strong showing from Toronto.
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Leafs lines in Tuesday’s game:
Knies – Matthews – Cowan
Maccelli – Tavares – Nylander
Robertson – Domi – McMann
Joshua – Roy – Jarnkrok
Rielly – Carlo
McCabe – Tanev
Benoit – Ekman-Larsson
Primeau
Stolarz