Player Discussion Auston Matthews (Captain Edition)

[Racer88]

Do you mean that he is back to his 9 year career self?

Or are you insinuating that he was faking an injury to rest up for the 4 Nations?

Even money……

 

[Martin Skoula]

I’m surprised more guys aren’t resting up to be fresh for the prestigious 4 nations tournament that people totally care about. One four nations win is like 10 Olympic golds, that’s something your great grand children will still be talking about.

 

[Racer88]

I’m surprised more guys aren’t resting up to be fresh for the prestigious 4 nations tournament that people totally care about. One four nations win is like 10 Olympic golds, that’s something your great grand children will still be talking about.

The way the nhl is pumping the tires on this clown tournament you would think it is for the championship of the universe

 

[Stephen]

I’m surprised more guys aren’t resting up to be fresh for the prestigious 4 nations tournament that people totally care about. One four nations win is like 10 Olympic golds, that’s something your great grand children will still be talking about.

Just says a lot about how this generation of players has been starved of playing best on best international tournaments. That said, you don't exactly get good attendance from the superstars to attend the World Championship.

 

[LeafEgo]

The four nations thing should be a bit of fun but it's also kinda awkward. Partly because its made up and partly because its a select four teams.

Oddly they may have been better off doing a seven game series summit type of thing between USA and Canada. Might have been able to generate some real stakes behind that.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Kudos to Auston for calling out the Leaf corporate seat fillers. I'm glad I at least got to see a game in the old red and grey seats at the Gardens when I was a kid. I had gold seats once, I think it was a Marlies afternoon game then we watched the Leafs at night.

Anyways, the team was garbage but the fans had spirit. A blue collar crowd of hungry Leaf worshippers. I will never forget the "Argooooos" screamed down from the grey seats, everyone just kind of laughed as Leafs would get crushed in yet another game,

When the Leafs were winning or a fight happened though, the place would go bonkers. Fans on their feet, the whole nine. That Reaves fight would have the crowd humming for another 7 minutes.

I will say, watching the Argos against the TiCats or something is always a great crowd. I'm not a CFL fan at all but whenever a friend drags me out to a game it is always loud and energetic. Loyalty to a team they know won't ever be in the headlines.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Just says a lot about how this generation of players has been starved of playing best on best international tournaments. That said, you don't exactly get good attendance from the superstars to attend the World Championship.

Alternatively, the idea that someone would fake an injury to rest for something with the prestige of a slightly more elaborate all-star game is a clinically insane fabrication. Call me crazy but if I was faking an injury to stay healthy for a gimmick tournament I would probably not want to lead the forwards in blocked shots.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Even money……

Don't think too much about it, it's not like anyone predicted this would happen. Nobody saw this coming.

 

[Stephen]

Alternatively, the idea that someone would fake an injury to rest for something with the prestige of a slightly more elaborate all-star game is a clinically insane fabrication. Call me crazy but if I was faking an injury to stay healthy for a gimmick tournament I would probably not want to lead the forwards in blocked shots.

If you’re talking about Matthews, the nightmare scenario is he would be playing through a serious injury to play in an all-star level tournament and risk further injury that impacts the Maple Leaf season down the road…

...if he was still hobbling now and playing through pain at a low level just to get to that tournament that would be a concern.

If he’s playing well for the Leafs and looking healthy he can go to those games with no issue.

 

[Stephen]

Kudos to Auston for calling out the Leaf corporate seat fillers. I'm glad I at least got to see a game in the old red and grey seats at the Gardens when I was a kid. I had gold seats once, I think it was a Marlies afternoon game then we watched the Leafs at night.

Anyways, the team was garbage but the fans had spirit. A blue collar crowd of hungry Leaf worshippers. I will never forget the "Argooooos" screamed down from the grey seats, everyone just kind of laughed as Leafs would get crushed in yet another game,

When the Leafs were winning or a fight happened though, the place would go bonkers. Fans on their feet, the whole nine. That Reaves fight would have the crowd humming for another 7 minutes.

I will say, watching the Argos against the TiCats or something is always a great crowd. I'm not a CFL fan at all but whenever a friend drags me out to a game it is always loud and energetic. Loyalty to a team they know won't ever be in the headlines.

He might not be wrong in sentiment but there’s an awkward situation there with the dollars paid out by said corporate crowd and the financial machine that makes Matthews the highest paid player in the game.

 

[Jojalu]

He might not be wrong in sentiment but there’s an awkward situation there with the dollars paid out by said corporate crowd and the financial machine that makes Matthews the highest paid player in the game.

I am just glad Marner didn't say it or his appreciation/discussion page would explode.

I don't mind that he said it. Not a lot different than Dave Winfield calling for noise, or a bunch of other athletes doing the same thing.

 

[ACC1224]

I am just glad Marner didn't say it or his appreciation/discussion page would explode.

I don't mind that he said it. Not a lot different than Dave Winfield calling for noise, or a bunch of other athletes doing the same thing.

It's funny the reaction you see here depending on who says what.

 

[Nineteen67]

Kudos to Auston for calling out the Leaf corporate seat fillers. I'm glad I at least got to see a game in the old red and grey seats at the Gardens when I was a kid. I had gold seats once, I think it was a Marlies afternoon game then we watched the Leafs at night.

Anyways, the team was garbage but the fans had spirit. A blue collar crowd of hungry Leaf worshippers. I will never forget the "Argooooos" screamed down from the grey seats, everyone just kind of laughed as Leafs would get crushed in yet another game,

When the Leafs were winning or a fight happened though, the place would go bonkers. Fans on their feet, the whole nine. That Reaves fight would have the crowd humming for another 7 minutes.

I will say, watching the Argos against the TiCats or something is always a great crowd. I'm not a CFL fan at all but whenever a friend drags me out to a game it is always loud and energetic. Loyalty to a team they know won't ever be in the headlines.

Leafs have one of the worst game day atmospheres in sports. Apparently they do the same thing every game and the fans that attend are robots.
It really shows on TV.

They made a decision to move away from Saturday night home games (50/50) this season, likely because of surveying season ticket holders.

I’m comparing the experience of attending Preds, VGK, Dallas Stars, TBL, Bills, college football, college baseball, all of which are fun events to attend.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Surely the guy who has been injured or awful for 97% of the season so far will do the same... right? ...

 

[Nineteen67]

Surely the guy who has been injured or awful for 97% of the season so far will do the same... right? ...

That’s not who he is.

There are Leafs fans ( on this board) that don’t expect him to be even good, let alone great

 

[Confucius]

That’s not who he is.

There are Leafs fans ( on this board) that don’t expect him to be even good, let alone great

He’s been pretty good in the 22 games since his return, 15 goals 27 points, a 56 goal 101 point pace. He never was going to score 69 goals every year.

 

[Stephen]

That’s not who he is.

There are Leafs fans ( on this board) that don’t expect him to be even good, let alone great

He looks more or less his usual self since Comeback 2.0.

 

[Nineteen67]

He looks more or less his usual self since Comeback 2.0.

Yep, he has. Some people think that’s good enough, but some of us would like to see them win and if he can’t be better then it’s going to be difficult.
The only thing we know for sure is that he hasn’t shown he gas the “it factor”

 

[BraveCanadian]

He’s been pretty good in the 22 games since his return, 15 goals 27 points, a 56 goal 101 point pace. He never was going to score 69 goals every year.

Then why are we paying him over 13 million a year?

Maybe we could get a contract that paid him 13-8-13-8 to match how he plays.

 

[Confucius]

Then why are we paying him over 13 million a year?

Maybe we could get a contract that paid him 13-8-13-8 to match how he plays.

Hey I agree we give out bad contracts. Why would anyone expect otherwise? We have hockey guys running the team, x players and coaches for the most part. Negotiating against professionals who have only one focus, negotiations.

 

[Stephen]

Yep, he has. Some people think that’s good enough, but some of us would like to see them win and if he can’t be better then it’s going to be difficult.
The only thing we know for sure is that he hasn’t shown he gas the “it factor”

I would say his usual old self of 69 goals per season is a good starting line to add all the snarl and big game characteristics and killer instincts that he’s traditionally not been good at. But we kind of need him healthy and looking like his old self before he can take the next jump. We’ll see.

 

[Confucius]

I would say his usual old self of 69 goals per season is a good starting line to add all the snarl and big game characteristics and killer instincts that he’s traditionally not been good at. But we kind of need him healthy and looking like his old self before he can take the next jump. We’ll see.

Usual 69 goals? How many times has he done that in his career?

 

[Nineteen67]

I would say his usual old self of 69 goals per season is a good starting line to add all the snarl and big game characteristics and killer instincts that he’s traditionally not been good at. But we kind of need him healthy and looking like his old self before he can take the next jump. We’ll see.

Does he have a next step? You’d think we would have seen it by now.

 

[Stephen]

Usual 69 goals? How many times has he done that in his career?

That’s the last known save point, but career average probably not.