Matthews, a center, had 16 shot attempts, eight shots on goal and won 13 of 15 face-offs despite missing Toronto's first three games of the season to recover from Aug. 13 wrist surgery. The Maple Leafs announced at the time he would need a minimum of six weeks.
"First game, I think I can definitely walk away feeling pretty happy with it," Matthews said. "I had some good chances, good looks, and I think that's all you can ask for, especially coming right in.
"I felt pretty good. I think the guys around me did a pretty good job helping me get into the game early."
Matthews participated in the majority of team drills after joining the main group at training camp Sept. 28. He initially targeted his return for the season opener against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 13 but delayed it to give his wrist more time to heal.
Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe wasn't about to ease Matthews back into the lineup and told him as much when they met earlier Monday. Matthews, who played on a line with forwards Nick Ritchie and Mitchell Marner, received 22:53 of ice time.
"I spoke with Auston this morning just about how he was feeling and letting him know my intention was to just play him like I normally would," Keefe said, "and his feedback was that he expected no less."