Leafs on Matthews range from 'he's a good player' to 'it's one night'

Auston Matthews checked his phone before his NHL debut and came across text messages from former teammates. It wasn't exactly encouragement. Matthews was in their fantasy hockey lineups and a big game would sure be nice, they said.

"So hopefully I did alright," the 19-year-old said with a grin a day later.

Fantasy hockey owners would indeed be proud. Matthews became the first player in NHL history to score four goals in his NHL debut, hitting the record against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night. He scored on each of his first three NHL shots, setting the historic mark with three seconds to go in the second period.

"He's going to have great nights down the road," Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly said on Thursday. "But this one will be one that he'll remember for a long time."

Matthews' coach, Mike Babcock, was making sure his young star was keeping the feat in perspective.

"It's one night," Babcock said, "and you've got to do it for a year and then you've got to do it for two years and then you've got to do it for 15 years so there's lot for him to look forward to."

Auston Matthews sets NHL record with 4-goal debut

8 years ago

Duration 0:21

Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews set a new NHL record on Wednesday night by scoring four goals in his first regular season game, becoming the first player in league history to do so.

It took less than 10 minutes for Matthews, the first player picked No. 1 overall by the Leafs in 31 years, to find the back of the net.

The play started with two nifty dekes by 20-year-old William Nylander just inside the Ottawa zone. He danced around Senators defenceman Mark Borowiecki and then flung a pass into the middle for Matthews, his shot attempt squirting just wide of the goal. It was eventually claimed behind the net by Zach Hyman, the third member of Toronto's all-rookie line.

"I tried to just pick it up and I saw Auston and I just threw it back in front and he was there," Hyman recounted a day later.

Matthews quickly fired a shot past Anderson steps outside the crease, Senators defender Chris Wideman just a second late in tying him up.

After Ottawa scored twice in less than two minutes to vault in front 2-1, Matthews struck again on the most eye-catching goal of the evening.

Hyman took the action in from steps away like an astounded fan.

"There's so many little things on that play that I think most guys can't do and he did it all in one play," the 24-year-old Hyman said. "The puck was in the net pretty quick."

Matthews gained control of it in the neutral zone, slipping it through the legs of a helpless Mike Hoffman. He whirled into the offensive zone and lost of control of the puck briefly, Senators captain Erik Karlsson temporarily taking hold of it along the boards. Undeterred, Matthews dodged a check from Hoffman and before Karlsson, a former Norris Trophy winner, had a chance to make a play, lifted his stick, swiped the puck back and attacked the crease.

He got a quick shot under Anderson's glove just seconds before Marc Methot could drop to the ice and break up the play.

"Just a couple puck battles," Matthews said of the play. "I think I was able to sneak by my check there and catch Karlsson off-guard and (then) was able to just pick the puck, go in and slide it five-hole there."

Watching it unfold Hyman thought: "He's a good player."

Matthews became the third player in the modern era to notch a hat trick in his NHL debut one minute and 25 seconds into the middle frame.

Rielly instigated the action, veering into the offensive zone with speed before he was steered into the left corner by Ottawa's defence. He nonetheless managed to thread a pass through a sea of skates to Matthews, wide open in the right faceoff circle.

Rielly said he knew Matthews was there the whole time and was only able to get the pass through all that interference because of his teammate's positioning.

"He changed his speed and he went into a good spot where I was able to get it to him," Rielly said. "If he had just driven the net like most guys do I don't think it would've worked. But he stopped up and he made his blade available and that's what happened."

Matthews' fourth and fifth shot attempts were denied, but it was evident a fourth goal was coming and indeed it arrived in the waning moments of the second period.

With 9.7 seconds left and the score tied 3-3, Jake Gardiner lofted an outlet from the Toronto zone past a leaping Brassard. Matthews snatched it up near centre-ice, found Nylander and then took off to the front of the net. Nylander slid a pass just under the stick of Wideman, the only defenceman back for Ottawa.

"I just put it there and then he put it in," Nylander said simply of the play.

It was the finishing touch on history.

Matthews said he would give the four pucks from his debut to his mother, Ema, for keepsake. She would do something nice to commemorate the evening.

"I think just playing in your first NHL game you know it's going to be a special night," said Matthews, already looking ahead to Saturday's home opener against Boston. "Just going out and there and getting your first taste of the NHL and living your dream right there it's pretty special."