Auston Matthews isn鈥檛 himself 鈥 and he knows it.
A nagging, undisclosed injury聽forced him to miss 15 games earlier this season and has hampered him since. That may explain his career-low scoring rate, a far cry from the dominant form that has made him one of the NHL鈥檚 top scorers聽since 2016.
But with the Maple Leafs in a dogfight for playoff positioning with 16 games left in the regular season, Matthews is determined to stay in the lineup.
鈥淚t鈥檚 that point in the season where everybody is grinding through something right now,鈥 the Leafs captain said following Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena. 鈥淚t is what it is. Just gotta keep pushing, keep trying to do what I can do.鈥
Auston Matthews takes advantage of the Linus Ullmark misplay 馃
鈥 Sportsnet (@Sportsnet)
Matthews skipped Saturday’s morning skate, then scored his fourth goal in 17 games. Senators goalie Linus Ullmark mishandled the puck and gifted Matthews a wide-open net, where he made no mistake.
Even if it wasn鈥檛 flashy, the goal聽鈥 his first in 10 days 鈥斅爉ight be what Matthews needed to turn things around.
Last season, he finished one goal shy of becoming the first NHLer in over 30 years to score 70. This season, he鈥檚 on pace for a career-low 32聽鈥 or 39 over a full 82 games.
Most players would be satisfied with Matthews鈥檚 numbers; he still ranks 14th (minimum 30 games) in goals per game at 0.47. But for the NHL鈥檚 highest-paid player, it hasn鈥檛 met his elite standard.
The three-time Rocket Richard winner averaged 0.65 goals per game before this season and was a regular in Hart Trophy conversation.
GM Brad Treliving did his part Friday, adding Brandon Carlo to the blue line and Scott Laughton down the middle.
GM Brad Treliving did his part Friday, adding Brandon Carlo to the blue line and Scott Laughton down the middle.
鈥淚t weighs on everybody,鈥 Leafs聽head coach Craig Berube said about Matthews鈥 scoring dip. 鈥淧layer like that, he wants to help the team by putting the puck in the net.鈥
Matthews has also been slower. He ranks in the 67th percentile for speed bursts between 29 and 32 km/h (382 total), and the 51st percentile for bursts between 32 and 35 km/h (55 total). Last year, he was in the 93rd and 79th percentiles, respectively.
Still, with the Calgary Flames in town to take on the Leafs Monday night, there鈥檚 confidence that Matthews will find that elite gear again.
“I think a lot of people just look at us and want us to get points every single night and that’s all they care about, but he鈥檚 playing a great defensive game,鈥 Leafs winger Mitch Marner said about Matthews. 鈥淭hey’ll eventually start falling.”
The Leafs led the Atlantic on March 2. Now they’re聽third, tied on points with the Lightning (who hold the tiebreaker) and the streaking Senators
The Leafs led the Atlantic on March 2. Now they’re聽third, tied on points with the Lightning (who hold the tiebreaker) and the streaking Senators
The Leafs need Matthews at his best now more than ever. After winning five straight games following the 4 Nations Face-Off, in which Matthews played for the United States, they鈥檝e dropped five of six.
They haven鈥檛 won in regulation in March and have slipped to third in the Atlantic Division. If the playoffs started today, they’d open on the road.
As the standings tighten, a return to form by Matthews becomes increasingly critical.
“This time of year, there are always guys who are playing hurt and banged up,鈥 Berube said. 鈥淗e’s no different, but he’ll fight through it. He doesn鈥檛 want any sympathy.”
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