{"id":199473,"date":"2025-10-09T06:19:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T06:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/199473\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T06:19:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T06:19:07","slug":"what-we-saw-from-leafs-season-opener-rielly-matthews-shine-newcomers-disappoint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/199473\/","title":{"rendered":"What we saw from Leafs\u2019 season opener: Rielly, Matthews shine, newcomers disappoint"},"content":{"rendered":"

TORONTO \u2014 Game 1 of 82 is in the books for the Toronto Maple Leafs.<\/p>\n

Goals from Bobby McMann, Calle J\u00e4rnkrok, Morgan Rielly, Auston Matthews and William Nylander were the difference in a largely even 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what we saw from the Leafs in their home opener.<\/p>\n

Blue Jays provide spark<\/p>\n

Maybe the loudest cheer of the night during the Leafs\u2019 home opener? During the second intermission, Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement smacked a seventh-inning single during Game 4 of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium.<\/p>\n

The loudest chant of the night? A roaring \u201cLet\u2019s Go Blue Jays!\u201d that stirred up after the Jays went up 4-1 against the New York Yankees.<\/p>\n

Scotiabank Arena showed Game 4 intermittently on the large screen over the ice. A rare move? Sure, but no one should fool themselves into thinking that the Leafs were playing the most important game in town on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably not fair to read the cheer or the chant as a dig at the Leafs or their crowd. There felt like more Canadiens fans than normal at Wednesday\u2019s game. Perhaps the Jays, Canada\u2019s lone MLB team, were the one thing that could bring a split crowd together.<\/p>\n

The Jays went on to win 5-2, advancing to the AL Championship Series<\/a> for the first time since 2016.<\/p>\n

Rielly talks the talk, walks the walk<\/p>\n

One of the most dominant storylines to open Leafs training camp was how committed Rielly is to moving past a disappointing 2024-25 campaign. Rielly has talked at length about how he worked out with more intention through the offseason. And you could see some of the results: He bolted all over the ice in a way he did only in spurts last season.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one thing to say you\u2019ll be better; it\u2019s another to look like a different player. And full credit to the Leafs defenceman, as Rielly was arguably the Leafs\u2019 best player on Wednesday night. He was aggressive with the puck in the offensive zone and led all Leafs in shots.<\/p>\n

Rielly scored his first of the season and the third on the night for the Leafs. He celebrated like he knew it meant more to him than maybe most of his past goals might have.<\/p>\n

He Rielly roofed that thang \ud83e\udd22@OREO<\/a> | #LeafsForever<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/5gUXdZusqD<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Disappointing night for Leafs newcomers<\/p>\n

Yes, it\u2019s only one game of 82 in the regular season. But in front of a curious crowd, it was a night to forget for the three Leafs offseason additions making their debuts in Toronto.<\/p>\n

Dakota Joshua was on the ice for the Canadiens\u2019 second goal (as were his linemates Max Domi and Nick Robertson) and never really looked as aggressive as expected on the forecheck. A second-period turnover and some missed passes with linemates suggest Joshua is still figuring out where he fits in the Leafs\u2019 lineup.<\/p>\n

Matias Maccelli looked indecisive with the puck, waiting for the perfect play to emerge and then struggling when that play didn\u2019t emerge. If you\u2019re the Leafs, you hope he can provide some pop on the second power-play unit. But he didn\u2019t, and the Leafs\u2019 second unit generated just one power-play shot all game.<\/p>\n

Maccelli was eventually pulled from the top line in favour of Domi. He did have a secondary assist, but all in all, not a great start.<\/p>\n

Nicolas Roy fared the best of the bunch. The centre got in the right spots on the penalty kill. He looked steady and made smart, unglamorous plays. The centre was also on the ice for the Leafs\u2019 second goal. But for a 6-foot-4 centre, Roy also didn\u2019t exactly jump off the page. Maybe expectations around the Leafs\u2019 new bottom-six centre should be adjusted: If he can keep the other team off the scoresheet and fly under the radar in doing so, that\u2019s a good night for Roy.<\/p>\n

Patience is always hard to come by in Toronto. Yet night one suggests that\u2019s exactly what all three newcomers need.<\/p>\n

Matthews looks healthy and reinvigorated<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most notable takeaway from the first game of the season? Concern over Matthews\u2019 injury woes last season should be squashed.<\/p>\n

Matthews looked engaged all game and skated with more pace than he did through most of last season. After taking steps in his defensive game last season, Matthews continued to track back and make decisive plays with his stick while defending. Matthews blocked a Nick Suzuki shot in the third period and looked to be in pain afterward, but he returned.<\/p>\n

Yes, Leafs fans \u2014 and the Leafs, too, of course \u2014 will want offence from one of the league\u2019s premier goal scorers. Considering Matthews\u2019 impressive history during season openers, it would have been fair to expect him to find the back of the net.<\/p>\n

Sure enough, Matthews skated with energy to hunt down an empty net goal.<\/p>\n

Overall, let\u2019s not run from the fact that Matthews\u2019 line did not have a good night for the first two periods. But at the bare minimum, seeing how well a fully healthy Matthews moved should be cause for relief at the start of a new season.<\/p>\n