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Auston Matthews, Gavin McKenna score on power play as Maple Leafs end slump

Toronto had lost three games in a row before beating the visiting San Jose Sharks on Monday night

Published Oct 19, 2026  •  Last updated 5 minutes ago  •  5 minute read

Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his second period goal against the San Jose Sharks with his teammate William Nylander at Scotiabank Arena on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, in Toronto. Photo by Chris Tanouye /Getty Images

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The Maple Leafs flipped the power switch on Monday night against the San Jose Sharks.

Power-play goals by Auston Matthews and rookie Gavin McKenna were the difference at Scotiabank Arena, enabling the Leafs to end a three-game losing streak and beat the Sharks 3-1.

Let’s get right into our takeaways:

Any concern that might have lingered in regard to Matthews’ ability to put a knee injury in the past firmly has been put to bed by the Leafs captain.

He’s a difference-maker for the Leafs again. There wasn’t much of that from Matthews in 2025-26 in his 60 games before Radko Gudas ended his season with a dirty hit last March 12.

Not only does Matthews have 16 points in 10 games, putting him on pace for 134 points in the 84-game schedule, he has had three games in which he has had at least three points.

That includes Monday night, when Matthews also had two assists.

Last season, Matthews hit three points in a game just three times.

“I’d like to think I could (immediately take his game to a higher level) because it was a long runway to get back into it, and I had a lot of time off,” Matthews said after the victory. “I just try to shake the rust off and go for it. You always want to be better, always want to generate more.”

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A rare Matthews giveaway in the defensive zone resulted in the only Sharks goal, at 13:54 of the first period. Tyler Toffoli found Mason Marchment, who put a backhand move on goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, following Matthews’ gaffe.

Matthews forgot about it and had another strong game. If you’re looking for setting an example, Matthews provided one.

There’s no question that the Leafs have played some bumpy hockey in going 4-4-2 in their first 10 games. With Matthews at the top of his game, it’s on his teammates to follow.

“You make a mistake, it doesn’t feel good, and we always tell the guy, ‘Don’t dwell on it, move forward,’” Leafs coach Jim Hiller said. “It’s easy to say, hard to do, but that was a textbook case of what you do after you make a mistake.

“He was huge, especially in the third period, some of the stuff (he was doing) down low.”

Said Matthews of his first-period giveaway: “That’s on me, and you try to go out there and flush it and move on and focus on the next shift. As hard as that can be sometimes, you got to play. Mistakes are going to happen.”

McKenna used some nifty stick work to score the go-ahead goal at 4:56 of the third period.

After making a couple of moves, McKenna beat Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov with a low shot off the far post as San Jose’s Luca Cagnoni served a cross-checking minor.

It gave McKenna the edge in his first match against the Sharks’ Ivar Stenberg nearly five months after they were picked first and second overall respectively in the NHL draft.

The goal was McKenna’s third and first on the power play, and it was his first game-winning goal.

The goals by Matthews and McKenna came after the Leafs failed to score on their first three power plays.

“He’s not afraid of the moment,” Hiller said of McKenna. “He enjoys the moment. We saw his celebration, and you could say (of the emotion), ‘Shouldn’t everybody do that?’

“You have to be want to be that big-time player, and that’s what he has in spades.”

It’s a far cry from Thursday night, when Hiller couldn’t give a good explanation for benching McKenna against the Buffalo Sabres.

What’s done is done.

“Pretty fired up,” McKenna said of his animated celebration. “It’s a hard league to score in, so when you get to put one in the back of the net, it feels pretty good.

“This entire process is (about) not looking backward or forward, trying to be where your feet are. When you have a game like that against Buffalo, you want to bounce back. Tonight was a huge step for us.”

McKenna now has six points — three goals and three assists — in 10 games.

Rightfully so, Hiller had a post-game compliment for Leafs assistant coach John Gruden.

After guiding the Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup title last spring, Gruden was promoted to the Leafs staff and now is in charge of a group of penalty killers that have allowed one goal in 32 chances.

At 96.9%, the Leafs sit atop the NHL on the penalty kill.

The Sharks failed to score on four opportunities.

“Once you start feeling good, it makes it a little bit easier, and we’re feeling it right now,” Hiller said. “I thought tonight was probably our best job on the penalty kill.

“Gruden has had a great plan, and the guys have executed it. In the end, there’s going to be a breakdown, and then the goaltender has to make the save. It’s the combination of those things.”

Bobrovsky did his part in all situations, making 30 saves.

Instrumental on the Leafs kill have been forwards Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime and Nick Paul (who scored an empty-net goal against San Jose) and defencemen Jake McCabe, Troy Stecher and Chris Tanev (before he was hurt).

“All four guys out there are a cohesive unit,” Matthews said. “Bob’s making big saves. Guys are putting their body on the line to block shots and do all the little things, little details that make it difficult on the opposing power play.

“We have some veteran who have been doing this for a long time, and they’re really good at it.”

The Leafs departed after the game for Columbus, where they will take on Matthew Knies and the Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Traded to Columbus for Marchenko at the end of September, Knies has hit a rut, failing to record a point in his past five games.

Bobrovsky stayed behind in Toronto for rest purposes. Anthony Stolarz will start and be backed up by Artur Akhtyamov in Columbus.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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