Matthews scored the game-tying goal late in the third period, giving him four goals through nine games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs battled back to get one of two points in Boston, but the game ended in overtime 3-2 after their captain gave the puck away.
Toronto had a 2-1 lead — courtesy of Matthew Knies and Morgan Rielly — midway through the second period before the Boston Bruins scored two quick goals to catapult themselves ahead.
The Maple Leafs had an opportunity early in the third period — on the power play — to even the game at three goals a piece. However, Toronto couldn't score, adding more fuel to the power play question marks through nine games.
It must've been uplifting for Toronto to get one late with the extra man on the ice. The Maple Leafs had a connected zone entry, something they struggled with earlier in the game on the man advantage, and Mitch Marner found Auston Matthews wide open for the deflection.
"Just a great entry there. [Matthews] with speed to kick out to John, and unbelievable pass cross ice from Johnny to me. I saw Tone going backside, tried to hit the seam, lucky enough it worked out, and he doesn't miss that often," Marner said.
It was a moment of positivity for a squad that's been beaten up pretty hard through their last two games. That happiness only lasted a couple of minutes because Matthews made an error in his zone, which resulted in Boston scoring and leaving TD Garden with their first win in four games.
Matthews was under pressure by Brad Marchand and threw the puck up the ice, hoping it would get to Marner, who was heading off for a change. David Pastrnak intercepted the pass, and eventually, Anthony Stolarz made a highlight-reel save.
But a second effort from Marchand resulted in the puck finding the back of the net.
"I thought somebody was coming back, and then as I went to pass it, I looked up and it wasn't the case," Matthews said following the game. "So I just tried to get back and make a play, and just unfortunate bounce."
Although it was a glaring error from Matthews, who could've held onto the puck longer, there can also be something learned about supporting him better when he's under that pressure.
"I thought that we controlled [the overtime]. We had the puck pretty much, and it was a tough play on Auston. Like, we got to support him a little bit better in that play. We left him alone there, and it was a mistake by everybody out there," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Saturday night.
"We had two good looks in overtime. So, I mean, it's important. The points are important, right? And we want to be a good overtime team. We want to be a good 3-on-3 team because they're crucial points."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c43dWI6z-HU[/embed]
With the extra point on Saturday, the Maple Leafs move into a three-way tie for third in the Atlantic Division with the Bruins and Buffalo Sabres. Toronto is .500 through nine games, and some would argue that their record would be better if the puck went into the net more often.