Player Discussion Auston Matthews (Captain Edition)

[IPS]

We can only go by what we see and know.

He's not a natural leader in the way a McDavid or MacKinnon is, who is going to just put the team on his back and carry them, driving them forward. Even Brady Tkachuk fits that mold.

He's not a quiet, lead-by-example guy the way Sasha Barkov is, where he's going to establish the standard on the ice with his play, and off-the-ice with his culture and behavior, where guys just fall in line behind him.

What kind of leader is he then and why did he get the C over both the Tkachuk brothers among others on Team America?

I don't think it was "sexy media reasons".

It's gonna be a big culture change with Marner and Tavares leaving, so he's definitely gonna have to be a real leader next season given that's 2 A's leaving.

 

[dangomon]

The good thing about being a captain and calling out your teammates for being "passengers", despite finishing the series with the same number of goals as Nick Robertson, is that your on-ice issues have now become off-ice issues as well.

Nothing says you 'command the room' more than torching your teammates at the end of the season, despite you only being captain for 10 months.

I expect him to heavily walk back those comments later today. It'll be PR, and it'll be prepared, but it'll be predictable.

I'm not really why people are so sure that he's not including himself in that statement? He, at no point in the playoffs, has spoken as if he's happy with his own game. He never said he was good enough.

In games 5 and 7 they not only had 'too many passengers', they had 19 of them.

 

[IPS]

I'm not really why people are so sure that he's not including himself in that statement? He, at no point in the playoffs, has spoken as if he's happy with his own game. He never said he was good enough.

In games 5 and 7 they not only had 'too many passengers', they had 19 of them.

Some people take it a step further - they even say that he meant that comment directly at Nylander. Nothing wrong with slamming Matthews for those comments but people are taking things squarely out of their imagination and thinking it's real.

I'm almost certain Matthews and Marner included themselves firmly in those comments too, which is why I'm not joining in on the freakout towards them.

 

[Tak7]

What kind of leader is he then and why did he get the C over both the Tkachuk brothers among others on Team America?

I don't think it was "sexy media reasons".

It's gonna be a big culture change with Marner and Tavares leaving, so he's definitely gonna have to be a real leader next season given that's 2 A's leaving.

We will see if he has it in him.
On current evidence - think the answer is no.

 

[TheOneArmedMan]

He is good player but not captain material. Tavares was more of a leader. Also I would put him on the wing instead of centre he would probably be more productive.

 

[Cleetus]

I doubt his teammates will be as happy to shrug it off as nothing the way you're doing.

Can you show me one instance in the last 50 years of NA pro sports where the captain throws his team under the bus when talking to the media? If you can, I'd be interested to see it and if you can't, well then maybe you should give some thought as to why that is.

maybe he was also speaking for himself as well, like I said things come out wrong sometimes when you just finish playing a game 7, emotions high, I am not going to turn on the guy after one quote lol

 

[Gary Nylund]

maybe he was also speaking for himself as well, like I said things come out wrong sometimes when you just finish playing a game 7, emotions high, I am not going to turn on the guy after one quote lol

Not saying "turn on him", that's a bit melodramatic. But like I said, I don't remember a captain saying something that dumb ever in the last 50 years, it's not nothing. He's not the only guy to ever speak to the media with emotions high yet somehow the others have all avoided dumping on their teammates.

And I don't buy this "maybe he was also speaking for himself as well" stuff. That's JMHO, if you disagree then that's fine.

 

[fahad203]

Dude has 1 goal in 7 games. 12 games against Florida, 1 goal
He's the one calling out other players

Mario Lemiuex used to have players hooking him, hacking him, grappling him to the ground, yet he foudn ways to score against every team in the league

Every top end player in the leagues faces big match ups. But they find a way to contribute. Not Auston Matthews

People are making it sound like Barkov is greatest defensive specialist ever lived. You don't know Esa Tikannen was, Brian Trottier, Sergei Federov, Bergeron, Kirk Muller, Doug Gilmour was. Great players found a way to score against all of them. Against Patrick Roy, Hasek. Against Scott Stevens, Pronger, Lidstorm

Yet he calls out passengers on this team. Nylander didn't score a single point last 4 games and yet he still has 4 more points than him and 3 more goals than him

 

[Stephen]

So why did they name him C of the Team America at the 4 nations?

He’s a status-y prestige player among peers. They don’t know if he’s a good leader or not. He hasn’t been involved with Team USA since 2016.

 

[Stephen]

We can only go by what we see and know.

He's not a natural leader in the way a McDavid or MacKinnon is, who is going to just put the team on his back and carry them, driving them forward. Even Brady Tkachuk fits that mold.

He's not a quiet, lead-by-example guy the way Sasha Barkov is, where he's going to establish the standard on the ice with his play, and off-the-ice with his culture and behavior, where guys just fall in line behind him.

It was so unusual seeing his emotional response to scoring his Game 6 goal. You think he would have let it all out and blown the roof off emotionally to super charge the team but that subdued grin like he’d done it all before. No you haven’t dude, enjoy the moment and feed off the energy. Nope.

 

[Tak7]

It was so unusual seeing his emotional response to scoring his Game 6 goal. You think he would have let it all out and blown the roof off emotionally to super charge the team but that subdued grin like he’d done it all before. No you haven’t dude, enjoy the moment and feed off the energy. Nope.

Almost like he was embarrassed - dude, you're allowed to be happy here. You're allowed to fire up your team.

Patches went full send on his celly just a few minutes later too

 

[647Hockey]

Dude has 1 goal in 7 games. 12 games against Florida, 1 goal
He's the one calling out other players

Mario Lemiuex used to have players hooking him, hacking him, grappling him to the ground, yet he foudn ways to score against every team in the league

Every top end player in the leagues faces big match ups. But they find a way to contribute. Not Auston Matthews

People are making it sound like Barkov is greatest defensive specialist ever lived. You don't know Esa Tikannen was, Brian Trottier, Sergei Federov, Bergeron, Kirk Muller, Doug Gilmour was. Great players found a way to score against all of them. Against Patrick Roy, Hasek. Against Scott Stevens, Pronger, Lidstorm

Yet he calls out passengers on this team. Nylander didn't score a single point last 4 games and yet he still has 4 more points than him and 3 more goals than him

Some players know how to play in the playoffs. Some dont. And AM doesnt. Marner and JT dive in the playoffs too. But Nylander is fine comparing his reg season vs playoffs. Their big issue too is they bomb out in the final games of a series since most of their stats are in the first games 1-4. And its going on for 9 years.... not just an occasional playoff flake out which any player can have.

Since Carolina is still in the playoffs going up against Florida, I checked some key Canes players to see how good they are in the career playoffs.

Aho GP 84 PT 80
Jarvis GP 50 PT 37
Svech GP 61 PT 45

They all trend close to their reg season. Jarvis looks a little low but thats due to his slower start as a rookie. His last few years reg season and playoffs ratios match up well.

Dallas

Robertson GP 51 PT 39
Ranty GP 94 PT 120
Hintz GP 91 PT 67
Johnson GP 51 PT 30
Seguin GP 146 PT 76
Benn GP 115 PT 80

All trend pretty close to reg season. Robertson a touch low. Seguin is the only bad drop off (never knew Seguin was so lousy in post season!).

Edmonton

Not even going to bother as the key guys do great in playoffs. McDavid/Draisaitl rack up even better stat ratios in the playoffs known for years. I think Draisaitl is one of the highest in league history.

 

[Stephen]

Almost like he was embarrassed - dude, you're allowed to be happy here. You're allowed to fire up your team.

Patches went full send on his celly just a few minutes later too

His cool assassin vibe doesn’t work for me. It’s so bottled up and uncomfortable. Matthews was always at his best scoring those big goals and letting the roof pop off Scotiabank.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

I've already seen multiple media people defend his comments. He's not leaving so people don't want to say anything. The second he's gone people will be acting like they've been saying it all along.

 

[fahad203]

Some players know how to play in the playoffs. Some dont. And AM doesnt. Marner and JT dive in the playoffs too. But Nylander is fine comparing his reg season vs playoffs. Their big issue too is they bomb out in the final games of a series since most of their stats are in the first games 1-4.

Since Carolina is still in the playoffs going up against Florida, I checked some key Canes players to see how good they are in the career playoffs.

Aho GP 84 PT 80
Jarvis GP 50 PT 37
Svech GP 61 PT 45

They all trend close to their reg season. Jarvis looks a little low but thats due to his slower start as a rookie. His last few years reg season and playoffs ratios match up well.

Dallas

Robertson GP 51 PT 39
Ranty GP 94 PT 120
Hintz GP 91 PT 67
Johnson GP 51 PT 30
Seguin GP 146 PT 76
Benn GP 115 PT 80

All trend pretty close to reg season. Robertson a touch low. Seguin is the only bad drop off (never knew Seguin was so lousy in post season!).

Edmonton

Not even going to bother as the key guys do great in playoffs. McDavid/Draisaitl rack up even better stat ratios in the playoffs known for years. I think Draisaitl is one of the highest in league history.

But you know, these guys dont' face great Barkov. Apparently only Barkov can shut down everyone
He's never had a single playoff where he was the best player on the series. Not a single one

Even the year we beat Tampa, it was Rielly who was our best player

Philip Danault once made him his little B****. Philip Danault
Before that it was Luc Dubois

It's always someone having a career defensive year against this guy.

 

[647Hockey]

His cool assassin vibe doesn’t work for me. It’s so bottled up and uncomfortable. Matthews was always at his best scoring those big goals and letting the roof pop off Scotiabank.

For off-ice media, I forget where I read it or heard it from YT but someone said maybe some of these Leaf guys are so boring and low key is because Leafs management game them advice to interact with media and fans quietly.

Dont get involved and communicate too much to the masses because it gives them ammo. So say the minimum canned speech thing.

 

[Stephen]

For off-ice media, I forget where I read it or heard it from YT but someone said maybe some of these Leaf guys are so boring and low key is because Leafs management game them advice to interact with media and fans quietly.

Dont get involved and communicate too much to the masses because it gives them ammo. So say the minimum canned speech thing.

Think it’s done too far the other way of protecting the players. They look scared to play at home at the end of a series. Not only the 6-1 Florida games either, but Game 5 vs Ottawa. 3 most important games of the playoffs and Auston and Mitch were wilting in Toronto. If you see the city as adversarial I don’t know if this place is for you anymore.

 

[Cleetus]

Not saying "turn on him", that's a bit melodramatic. But like I said, I don't remember a captain saying something that dumb ever in the last 50 years, it's not nothing. He's not the only guy to ever speak to the media with emotions high yet somehow the others have all avoided dumping on their teammates.

And I don't buy this "maybe he was also speaking for himself as well" stuff. That's JMHO, if you disagree then that's fine.

you are literally ripping him a part over one quote and calling me melodramatic lol ok carry on,

 

[JKG33]

Of all of the BS pitty-party stuff coming from Florida players, the one that stood out to me was Tkachuk talking about Matthew's leadership. Seemed pretty genuine that Auston can command a room and take charge.

Auston's playoff issues are on-ice, not off-ice.

If you're Tkachuk, you're not gunna shit talk your buddy in the media. You also hope the Leafs make no changes because theyre such a beatable divisional opponent

 

[647Hockey]

If you're Tkachuk, you're not gunna shit talk your buddy in the media. You also hope the Leafs make no changes because theyre such a beatable divisional opponent

Exactly.

Sports in general is like that where they all want to be considerate and not badmouth other players or teams. Only a small number of players or coaches will be open enough to publicly trash the opposition.

 

[Gary Nylund]

you are literally ripping him a part over one quote and calling me melodramatic lol ok carry on,

Ripping him apart - more melodrama. I'm not ripping him apart, I'm just not shrugging it off as nothing the way you're doing.

He said something that a captain should never say, and he needs to fix it. If that to you is "ripping him apart", I think you're being too sensitive. Are we not allowed to call out our captain when he does something stupid?

If you can't show me even one example over the last 50 years where a captain threw his team under the bus, that should tell you something right there. It's not the end of the world, but it's not nothing.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Exactly.

Sports in general is like that where they all want to be considerate and not badmouth other players or teams. Only a small number of players or coaches will be open enough to publicly trash the opposition.

Yup. It happens, but oh so rarely. The only time that comes to mind is Ovechkin a few years back.

You can't take anything the players say to the media seriously, most of the time you can predict what they say before they say it.

 

[Stephen]

If you're Tkachuk, you're not gunna shit talk your buddy in the media. You also hope the Leafs make no changes because theyre such a beatable divisional opponent

Tkachuk, Maurice and Marchand shit talking the market and media may be a way to hurt Toronto as a players destination come offseason.

 

[647Hockey]

Yup. It happens, but oh so rarely. The only time that comes to mind is Ovechkin a few years back.

You can't take anything the players say to the media seriously, most of the time you can predict what they say before they say it.

Yup.

And you can often predict the shitty questions asked by reporters too.

"Hey Mike, it;'s a close game 1-1 going into the third. Do you think John (his goalie) is doing a good job keeping you in the game?"

With mindbender questions like that, who would ever know the skater will say John is a great goalie and doing a good job?

Genius journalism.

 

[Gary Nylund]

it literally is one quote after game 7 loss, its nothing in my opinion, and he has to fix nothing, he is the Captain and will continue to be the captain, just cause he hurt your feeling with one quote he has to say something lmao! calling me sensitive, look in the mirror

Not sure why you're so upset, are you his mom or something? Maybe you're new to following pro sports but you don't throw your teammates under the bus, that sort of shit's just not done and it's especially not done when you're the team captain. Maybe 50 years from now you'll think back on this and think you know what, I never saw this happen again so maybe that guy was right. In the mean time, it's OK to disagree. Have a nice day.