Auston Matthews, the 19-year-old rookie from Arizona with the Toronto Maple Leafs, dominated the Ottawa Senators last week after scoring all four goals for the team in his NHL debut.
The Leafs selected Matthews as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft with high hopes for the young American, and they weren’t disappointed with his inaugural performance.
Matthews wasted no time in the season opener, scoring halfway through the first period. The Senators responded with two quick goals from forward Bobby Ryan and defenceman Erik Karlsson, giving the Senators a 2-1 lead before Matthews struck again.
With just under six minutes left in the first, Matthews stole the puck from Sens forward Mark Stone, leaped around Mark Hoffman, and shifted past Karlsson to net his second goal of the period.
An electric second period began with another swift goal from Matthews, who scored his third less than two minutes in.
The rookie’s historic night had players from all over the league taking on Twitter in disbelief.
Matthews’ mother Ema Matthews was brought to tears clapping for her son as fans erupted into applause.
Late in the third period, Senators forward Derick Brassard tied the game 3-3 until Matthews scored again with three seconds left in the second, making him the first player to ever score four goals in an NHL debut game.
The pace slowed down in the third with the Leafs remaining scoreless throughout.
Sens forward Kyle Turris scored six minutes into the period, enough to tie the game and put the game into overtime.
Leafs coach Mike Babcock started Matthews in the overtime period, but the Senators ended up taking the game after Turris scored 37 seconds after the puck dropped — putting a blemish on Matthews’ unforgettable night.