- 18-year-old phenom Gavin McKenna made his highly anticipated preseason debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs, drawing rave reviews from coach Jim Hiller and captain Auston Matthews despite not registering a point in a 4-1 loss to Montreal
- McKenna displayed strong chemistry with linemates John Tavares and William Nylander, creating high-danger chances and nearly assisting on multiple plays while taking a cautious approach to his first NHL game
- Auston Matthews returned from a season-ending injury and looked sharp, finishing with a team-leading six shots on goal in over 22 minutes, showing dangerous end-to-end skating and establishing offensive cycles
- Defenseman Chris Tanev proved his readiness after limited action last season, playing excellent penalty kill and demonstrating smart positional play throughout the game with solid communication
- Darren Raddysh impressed offensively with his powerful shot threat, scoring Toronto’s only goal and generating quality chances for teammates while displaying strong puck management on the blue line
- Ben Danford made a quiet but impactful case for a roster spot with stellar two-way play, excelling in rush defense and showing improved offensive instincts from his Marlies championship run
Read the full story here: https://theleafsnation.com/news/5-takeaways-toronto-maple-leafs-montreal-canadiens-preseason-opener
