Auston Matthews can't believe what Gavin McKenna just did at practice

Gavin McKenna just gave the Maple Leafs locker room something to talk about, and Auston Matthews was watching.

Heading into tonight's home date with the Ottawa Senators, a practice clip of the 18-year-old rookie is making the rounds. It's short, and it's filthy.

Wearing No. 92 in a white practice sweater, the kid drags the puck wide on his forehand while the goalie lunges across with his pad fully extended, already beaten.

Matthews liked what he saw. When a player carrying a $13,250,000 cap hit reacts to a rookie's hands, the clip travels fast.

Now for the part the highlight doesn't show. Through two games, McKenna has no points and a -2 rating.

That's no reason for alarm. Nobody in Toronto should be judging a teenager on a $1,075,000 cap hit off a two-game sample.

Practice goals are batting practice home runs. The fans along the rail go nuts, and the box score never hears about it.

Auston Matthews still searching for his first point of the season

The bigger concern sits a few stalls over. Toronto's highest-paid player has also been held scoreless through two games, and he's minus-2 as well.

Here's the blunt version. Applauding a rookie's hands at practice is nice, but the Leafs need their franchise scorer filling the net in games that count.

The offense so far has come from elsewhere. William Nylander has two goals, and Easton Cowan leads the team with three points.

Cowan's line includes a power-play goal and the game-winner. Not bad for a 21-year-old being asked to carry more than anyone expected this early.

The Leafs sit at 1-1-0 with four goals for and four against. That's a team still figuring out who actually drives it.

The season-opening 3-2 loss to the Canadiens stung. Anthony Stolarz has been the steadiest piece since, posting a .963 save percentage.

The Senators arrive without a regular-season game under their belt. Tonight's puck drop is also the first of four meetings between the two clubs this season.

It opens a two-game homestand, with Nashville next. After that comes a three-game road trip through Vegas, Colorado and Utah.

So the rookie gets a fresh look against a division rival tonight. The hands are obviously there.

Matthews has already given his approval. Which one gets on the scoresheet first, the kid or the star, and which answer can Toronto actually live with?

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