The Maple Leafs, to use Babcock's phrase, were wondering what the heck was going on in the early going.
With the crowd still buzzing after the Tavares introduction, Senators forward Brady Tkachuk silenced it when he scored 25 seconds into the new season.
"Tough first shift," Matthews said. "They score on that first shift and they gain the momentum. We just took a deep breath."
Trailing 1-0 after the first period, Toronto took control of the game with a four-goal outburst to put the game away. They led 4-2 after the second and never looked back.
Matthews has scored nine goals in four season openers but said there is no special formula for that success.
"I try to score goals every game," he said.
Matthews scoffed when it was suggested he might be disappointed at not being named captain. Rielly will be an alternate captain for every game; Matthews and Marner will be an alternate on a game-to-game basis.
"It's a big honor," Matthews said. "I think all four of us look at it as a big honor, big responsibility. So I think, like we've been saying all along, there's lots of leaders in this room. We're just the guys that are wearing the letters."
Babcock said he thinks Tavares' lead-by-example approach can take Matthews to the next level.
"He has a chance to be a generational player," Babcock said. "So now, what can you learn from John? You can learn John is working every day, working harder and winning every puck, working hard in practice. So that's the challenge for our group."
While the media was peppering Matthews with questions, Sandin was taking it all in. The scene was all so surreal for the 19-year-old.
"At one point, I thought I was dreaming," he said. "At one point, I was looking around during the introductions thinking: Can this be for real?"