It's a 35 million dollar first line producing like a second line ES 5 on 5 with Knies backpacking the finishing.
Knies is gonna get 8.5 mil + at this rate.
Player Discussion Auston Matthews (Captain Edition)
- Thread starter Aashir
- Start date
Knies is gonna get 8.5 mil + at this rate.
Matthews shot has regressed worse than Jose batistas that one yr and on.
yubbers
Grown Menzez
- May 1, 2013
- 37,113
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He just can't take over a game anymore. We have to accept that we have the league's highest-paid defensive player now. LOL
1specter
Registered User
- Sep 27, 2016
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Every playoff, Matthews disappears, and every playoff, people blame Marner for it.
yubbers
Grown Menzez
- May 1, 2013
- 37,113
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Marner should put on his big boy pants and go dominate the game himself without Matthews.
No need for passes, shoot yourself. Skate, deke, zone entry. Force the play through with your skills.
Shooting first, opens up the passing lanes. It's why the pass first PG role died in the NBA.
Maybe if the coach would split them up, but the only time they tried that in the playoffs was the one where Marner went in injured and Matthews was injured partway through. I've felt for a while that Marner has better chemistry with Tavares than with Matthews, and it's been that way for a while. They can be dynamite together in short sprints, but not in long stretches.
He can take more agency even on Matthews line. I thought Marner was skating fine in the Boston series. Mostly mental mistakes. Like turnovers and soft board play.
We need more agency from Marner with our crippled captain.
- Apr 19, 2019
- 11,521
- 16,533
I’d buy his jersey ASAP if he rocked Bennett with a massive hit in game 2
Unfortunately that’s not his game, so hopefully he actually contributes to the scoresheet in game 2
Unfortunately that’s not his game, so hopefully he actually contributes to the scoresheet in game 2
Matthews was great at everything last night but finishing his chances.
At this point, getting frustrated is just silly. He has struggled all year to score, and there is something wrong. There is nothing Berube or anyone can do at this point.
The Leafs have to view this as 69 goal scorer Matthews has been traded for a 25 goal scoring Gainey.
The Leafs can win without Matthews producing. They have shown it time and time again. What Matthews does need to do is continue to shutdown Florida's top line. If they hold the Barkov line scoreless, Knies will pick up the odd goal, and Mitch and Matty will get two or three in the series.
Last night Matthews line won the matchup 2-0 at 5v5.
With Willy going, and the secondary scoring helping out, Matthews HAS to win his matchup every night and contribute something on the PP.
thewave
Registered User
- Jun 17, 2011
- 41,075
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I mentioned this in another thread. Matthews was trying but eventually he started to succumb and I essentially pin that tail on the struggles of Marner. It's a square peg in a round hole combination against a physical team like FLA.
You're right though
Tak7
Registered User
It's pretty deflating to see someone who was the greatest shooter on the planet last year, struggling to score.
The one encouraging thing from last night is that with a few days off, Matthews looked faster and healthier and more willing to shoot the puck, which was something he just didn't seem capable of in the Ottawa series.
The one encouraging thing from last night is that with a few days off, Matthews looked faster and healthier and more willing to shoot the puck, which was something he just didn't seem capable of in the Ottawa series.
tuckerintensity
armed with will and determination
- Jul 16, 2022
- 331
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While I certainly wish Matthews buried a couple of his chances, dude was unreal last night. It's obvious his shot isn't right, whatever has been bothering him is affecting his ability to get that off, but damnit he was everywhere in all the right ways. He was immense last night again, but he didn't score so we're gonna pretend he was bad. Troll on you crazy diamonds.
The Shadow
Registered User
- Feb 9, 2013
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I hear you. But he’s the highest paid player in the world because of his offensive abilities. They are going to need him being more productive if they are going to win
tuckerintensity
armed with will and determination
- Jul 16, 2022
- 331
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If he plays like that all series, I'm not worried about him at all. He'll get points and he's completely dominating in so many other areas of the game. Goals will come, the way he's playing is what we need to see consistently and we have so far.
fahad203
Registered User
- Oct 3, 2009
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Matthews hasn't been injured. No confirmation of him being injured
If he was injured they shouldn't have allowed him to play for 4Nations. He's a Maple Leaf asset first
Reality is he just needs to be better. Unless someone can confirm he is infact playing hurt
Prime Matthews would’ve buried at least 2 of those chances last night. Need him to step it up offensively.
Punch Drunk Loov
Gaaaaary Roberts!
- Dec 6, 2011
- 4,740
- 4,401
I don't know what he's doing out there on offense. Give the puck to Knies he has the pure drive that Auston seems to lack
Auston has 2 goals but neither are shots that have flat out beat a goalie
Auston has 2 goals but neither are shots that have flat out beat a goalie
Stephen
Moderator
- Feb 28, 2002
- 78,915
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I gotta disagree with that.
Marner’s little chip play out to Knies wasn’t like a superstar play but he found a way to set up the game winner that someone else scored in spectacular fashion. He facilitated in a small area one on one and it made all the difference even though he wasn’t much of a difference maker as an individual.
Matthews was good too but missing the scoresheet. His pass out to Knies that set up the hit on Jones, the one timer he missed…
Their PP work was dreadful and that should be criticized.
All this tells me they need an alpha dog on their line so they can ride coattails. At least in this Florida environment. And that guy is Matthew freaking Knies.
That three on two where Marner dropped it back to him and he wristed it from the top of the slot, there was so much daylight above Bob's glove. Matthews of last year would have torqued that puck so hard it would have gone through the net. He'd have bent the crossbar on his one timer from the slot. I just rolled my eyes when he missed the empty netter.
It's always better to be getting chances than to not be getting chances. He played a good hockey game last night, but it's so frustrating that his literal best tool, the thing that made him a Hart trophy winner, has completely vanished. We're all hoping that when the season is done they tell us why he now shoots like Max Domi. I'll take this version of Matthews over Game 5 against the Sens or Game 7 of (pick a year) any day, but we still need to see a lot more from our captain and main man.
The good news, and what I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for, is that something clicks into place. That he got two good chances from the slot are positive, but why is he not setting up for one timer slapshots on the PP any more? Why is it that his wrist is sorta cooked, but not so cooked that he can still rip sorta mediocre one timers? Whatever it is, if he can figure out how to score again then we are going to be very, very hard to deal with.
It's always better to be getting chances than to not be getting chances. He played a good hockey game last night, but it's so frustrating that his literal best tool, the thing that made him a Hart trophy winner, has completely vanished. We're all hoping that when the season is done they tell us why he now shoots like Max Domi. I'll take this version of Matthews over Game 5 against the Sens or Game 7 of (pick a year) any day, but we still need to see a lot more from our captain and main man.
The good news, and what I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for, is that something clicks into place. That he got two good chances from the slot are positive, but why is he not setting up for one timer slapshots on the PP any more? Why is it that his wrist is sorta cooked, but not so cooked that he can still rip sorta mediocre one timers? Whatever it is, if he can figure out how to score again then we are going to be very, very hard to deal with.
fbuford
Registered User
- Apr 3, 2025
- 100
- 138
The worst part is that he's a complete bystander on the Powerplay,
You look at players like Ovechkin or Stamkos and they made a living on the PP. Their shots were so predictable but they always found ways to unload a slapper. Matthews had that same scoring threat earlier in his career whether it be on the left side and his wrister or when he moved to the right side for a one timer. He rarely does either nowadays.
