Jace Evans

USA TODAY

Auston Matthews scored four goals in his NHL debut in the Toronto Maple Leafs' opening-night game Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators.

And he wasted no time in getting the scoring going.

After a wild scramble, the puck kicked out to Matthews and he made no mistake in burying it for his first career score.

But Matthews wasn't done.

Later in the first period he scored on a spectacular individual effort.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said to The Associated Press after the game. “He’s a good player. You see that second goal he scored, not many guys do that.”

Matthews completed the hat trick in the second period off a nice feed.

And, with a fourth goal just before the end of the second period, he made some history by becoming the first player to score four goals in his NHL debut.

His goals accounted for all of Toronto's scoring, as the Leafs fell to Ottawa 5-4 in overtime.

“I couldn’t believe that was happening out there,” Matthews told The Associated Press after the game.

Said Babcock: “Since I’ve been the Leafs coach, that’s the best night I’ve had since I’ve been here by 10 miles. Not even close.”

Matthews, a 19-year-old from Scottsdale, Ariz., was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in June's draft.

Scoring four goals in his first game will do little to simmer the substantial hype surrounding him, which only built during his standout play on Team North America during the World Cup of Hockey.

So far, he couldn't have scripted a better start to his career.

Auston Matthews' mom couldn't contain her reaction after he scored a hat trick in his NHL debut