Auston Matthews & other Maple Leafs stars cheer on Toronto Blue Jays in their MLB playoffs clash against NY Yankees

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews joined fellow teammates John Tavares, Matthew Knies, Easton Cowan, and Steven Lorentz in the stands at Rogers Centre, cheering for the Toronto Blue Jays during their MLB playoff series against the New York Yankees.

On Sunday, the Blue Jays carried their regular-season momentum into the postseason, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five AL Division series with decisive victories: a 10-1 rout in Game 1 and a 13-7 thrashing in Game 2.

Daulton Varsho's two home runs in Game 2 powered the Blue Jays' offense while rookie starter Trey Yesavage limited the Yankees to just one run in the opener. The series will now be shifting to Yankee Stadium for Game 3 on Tuesday.

NHL insider makes bold Auston Matthews' prediction after Mitch Marner's departure

Auston Matthews has long been linemates with Mitch Marner, forming one of the NHL’s most dynamic duos.

However, as the 2025-26 season approaches, Matthews will be without Marner, who signed with the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this summer. Matthews is developing strong chemistry with Max Domi, expected to flank him on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top line.

NHL insider Eliotte Friedman predicted a standout season for the Leafs captain, stating he's motivated to prove his elite scoring without Marner.

“Matthews, first of all, I think he's going to have a monster year,” Friedman said via the "32 Thoughts" podcast. “I think he is eager to show because there's all this talk with Marner gone. Who's going to get him the pot? Is he going to be able to score as much? It's like dating. If it doesn't work out, you have to move on today.

Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens in their season opener at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta