Gavin McKenna and Auston Matthews went at it in another puck battle at the end of Maple Leafs practice, and the teenager admitted who's winning.
“I'd say right now Auston. But I'll get him in a few more,” McKenna told Mark Masters after the skate.
The clip shows the teenager, No. 92 on his helmet, chasing Matthews along the boards as both reach for the puck.
This is the best thing happening at Leafs practice. A kid who wants a piece of the team's top scorer every single day is exactly what this room needs.
It's like the new kid at the pickup game who keeps asking to guard the best player in the gym.
McKenna has 5 points on a $1,075,000 cap hit, and he scored in Tuesday's loss in Utah, his second goal of the season.
It isn't the first time these two have locked horns at practice this month, and it won't be the last.
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Gavin McKenna reacts after another intense practice showdown with Auston Matthews
Matthews has 12 points, including a game-winner, on a $13,250,000 cap hit.
William Nylander matches him with 12 points of his own.
Toronto fell 5-4 in Utah on Tuesday, dropping to 3-3-1.
McKenna was moved back to the second power-play unit that night when John Tavares returned.
Tavares has 5 points but sits at -5.
Easton Cowan already owns 2 game-winners.
Chris Tanev is now out until at least Oct 22.
Buffalo arrives at 3-3-1 after a shootout loss in Montreal on Tuesday, still without Rasmus Dahlin.
Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with 7 points.
Sergei Bobrovsky sits at .907 in the Toronto crease.
Jim Hiller will take that kind of competitiveness every day of the week.
How many more of these practice battles before the kid actually comes out on top?
The Islanders visit Saturday, followed by San Jose on Monday.
He says he'll get him in a few more. Matthews, for his part, doesn't look like he plans to make it easy on the kid.
Will Gavin McKenna win a practice puck battle against Auston Matthews this season?
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