The Toronto Maple Leafs returned to their NHL scheduling on Saturday night against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes, but the memory of the painful 4 Nations Face-Off tournament loss still lingered for Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews.

Matthews, who is the captain of the Leafs and was also named captain of Team USA, failed to score on a golden opportunity in overtime of the 4 Nations title game on Thursday night, and also left Connor McDavid wide open in the slot for the game-winning overtime goal.

The Maple Leafs captain admitted that the sting of the loss was still with him before the game, via TSN.

“It's tough,” Matthews said. “It means a lot to wear that jersey and have the opportunity, and you never know how many chances you get at representing your country and playing in a tournament like that. It definitely still stings, but you got to flip the page here. It's a pretty quick turnaround.”

Matthews now has an auspicious record of 0-6 in must-win games; ironically, most of them have taken place at TD Garden in Boston, home of the Bruins.

“That's part of life,” Matthews said. “It's not always going to work out in your favour. You know, for me, like, it sucks, but there's nothing that I can do to fix that now. It's about trying to just get better and be better as we move forward here for this team.”

The Maple Leafs defeated the Hurricanes on Saturday night by a 6-3 final score at Scotiabank Arena.

Related Toronto Maple Leafs NewsArticle continues below
Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) reacts after scoring a goal against the Edmonton Oilers in the third period during game one of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center.
Pete DeBoer’s wish for Matt Duchene after snapping slump in Game 1
3 Golden Knights trade candidates after Oilers series loss
3 Golden Knights trade candidates after Oilers series loss
Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch looks on against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at the United Center.
Oilers’ Kris Knoblauch makes ‘humbled’ admission after Game 1 meltdown

Auston Matthews was named captain of Maple Leafs over offseason

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) looks on during the third period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.
Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

In a surprise twist, the Maple Leafs named Matthews the 26th captain in team history and also the first American-born captain in franchise history; he inherited the role from John Tavares, who willingly surrendered it.

Matthews said that it was humbling for him to be given the responsibility, via NHL.com.

“I'm incredibly humbled to be named captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Matthews said.“I'm honored to follow in John's footsteps and continue our work in leading this team along with so many other leaders within our dressing room. This team, this city, and our fans mean everything to me. We all embrace the history of this franchise, and we are determined to get the job done.”

In his first season as captain, Matthews has scored 20 goals with 25 assists through 40 games.