Player Discussion Auston Matthews Discussion

[notbias]

Is he REALLY their best pk'er?

Small samples sizes make Nylander look good on the PK too.

Best on ice xGA/60.
2nd best shot against/60.
Best high danger shot against/60.
Best rel xGF% by 23%.
Best G%.

He might be the best at anticipating a play (maybe Marner), he is the best shot blocker, and he has the best stick.

He has the skill set of an elite PKer, I'd just like to see him out there more because in his limited time, he was the best.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Best on ice xGA/60.
2nd best shot against/60.
Best high danger shot against/60.
Best rel xGF% by 23%.
Best G%.

He might be the best at anticipating a play (maybe Marner), he is the best shot blocker, and he has the best stick.

He has the skill set of an elite PKer, I'd just like to see him out there more because in his limited time, he was the best.

I ran across the street for the bus today.

If that's the only time you ever saw me run you'd think I was Usain Bolt. Truth was more like Homer Simpson. I got on the bus and nearly collapsed.

And if you go by stats Liljegren is the team's best defenseman and will be signing an $8.5M extension this year...

 

[ACC1224]

Do we think Berube puts Matty on the PK? Never fully understood why Keefe never really did.

As a #1 center, he already plays the hardest minutes of any forward. I don't think they want to compound that with PK duty.
Obviously spotting him in there when needed can be done.

 

[notbias]

I ran across the street for the bus today.

If that's the only time you ever saw me run you'd think I was Usain Bolt. Truth was more like Homer Simpson. I got on the bus and nearly collapsed.

And if you go by stats Liljegren is the team's best defenseman and will be signing an $8.5M extension this year...

Watching him, he was the best too.

If you want to ignore stats, then not sure what to say.

He played 55 mins, that is a decent sample size. This is 185th in the league... how much bigger of a sample size do we need to give it another chance?

Nylander was a mid-level PKer by all those stats and Matthews crushed most people in those stats.

 

[Boxscore]

Go watch game 2 and admit you were wrong.

Lmao, "game 2." Go watch the last 8 years and the ONE playoff-round win during that time and admit you're making excuses for the idol you worship. This guy has scored 48 points in the playoffs over his career... McDavid has 42 this playoff season.

13 mil a year and he's scoring 0.87 points per game when it matters most, lol. My goodness, the lengths people will go to defend this guy are incredible.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Lmao, "game 2." Go watch the last 8 years and the ONE playoff-round win during that time and admit you're making excuses for the idol you worship. This guy has scored 48 points in the playoffs over his career... McDavid has 42 this playoff season.

13 mil a year and he's scoring 0.87 points per game when it matters most, lol. My goodness, the lengths people will go to defend this guy are incredible.

I have a more nuanced hockey opinion than win = played good, lose = played bad. Score = play good, not score = play bad.

 

[Boxscore]

I have a more nuanced hockey opinion than win = played good, lose = played bad. Score = play good, not score = play bad.

How about the nuance that deciphers 1 playoff round win in 8 years?

 

[HockeyVirus]

How about the nuance that deciphers 1 playoff round win in 8 years?

Wins are a team stat

 

[Boxscore]

Wins are a team stat

And when you're the highest-paid player on your team (and in the league) you shoulder the highest amount of blame when your team significantly underachieves in the playoffs.

So... the team fails but it's not Matthews fault. And Matthews production dips massively to 0.87 points per game in the playoffs (71 points over 82 games) and it's also not Matthews fault. Everyone else gets the blame and he promenades away unscathed, lmao. Got it.

 

[Ports]

And when you're the highest-paid player on your team (and in the league) you shoulder the highest amount of blame when your team significantly underachieves in the playoffs.

So... the team fails but it's not Matthews fault. And Matthews production dips massively to 0.87 points per game in the playoffs (71 points over 82 games) and it's also not Matthews fault. Everyone else gets the blame and he promenades away unscathed, lmao. Got it.

He should watch McDavid this year or Mackinnon or Kucherov from past playoffs and see what it takes to contend for a cup because he’s not close yet. Love his skill and size but he needs to use it and add a physical element and some pushback to his game.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

He should watch McDavid this year or Mackinnon or Kucherov from past playoffs and see what it takes to contend for a cup because he’s not close yet. Love his skill and size but he needs to use it and add a physical element and some pushback to his game.

Why? He's paid about as well as McDavid and much more than anyone else. He doesn't need to learn anything, everything is going extremely well.

 

[IPS]

He should watch McDavid this year or Mackinnon or Kucherov from past playoffs and see what it takes to contend for a cup because he’s not close yet. Love his skill and size but he needs to use it and add a physical element and some pushback to his game.

I might be going way of the wall here but that first shoulder injury he had in 2017-2018 season completely changed his perspective on physical play. I can't be the only one who can remembers Matthews in that Washington hunting the puck like a dog on raw meat. Literally the 1st and the only time we ever saw Matthews impose his will in the postseason.

The season where Matthews played his most physical was actually his rookie season, even to this day.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Watching him, he was the best too.

If you want to ignore stats, then not sure what to say.

He played 55 mins, that is a decent sample size. This is 185th in the league... how much bigger of a sample size do we need to give it another chance?

Nylander was a mid-level PKer by all those stats and Matthews crushed most people in those stats.

55 mins is not a big sample size.

185th in the league doesn't even make him a PP1 unit player (4x32 = 128 pk1 players, which means there are still 57 players on pk2 getting more time). He averages 0:42 sec a game shorthanded. Good for 419th in the league.

But please go on about how huge Matthews sample size is if it helps with overcompensating for other undersized things in your life easier.

 

[notbias]

55 mins is not a big sample size.

185th in the league doesn't even make him a PP1 unit player (4x32 = 128 pk1 players, which means there are still 57 players on pk2 getting more time). He averages 0:42 sec a game shorthanded. Good for 419th in the league.

But please go on about how huge Matthews sample size is if it helps with overcompensating for other undersized things in your life easier.

decent size = huge? You're making up an argument with yourself.

I am saying it is large enough that they should try it out more since he was so good at it.

I'll pretend your last sentence doesn't make you look insane and respond in good faith.

 

[Stephen]

I might be going way of the wall here but that first shoulder injury he had in 2017-2018 season completely changed his perspective on physical play. I can't be the only one who can remembers Matthews in that Washington hunting the puck like a dog on raw meat. Literally the 1st and the only time we ever saw Matthews impose his will in the postseason.

The season where Matthews played his most physical was actually his rookie season, even to this day.

Matthews has got something of the “snipers curse” where he knows he can cut corners and make up for it with a goal here and there and what’s the difference?

He can play the full 200 foot game but sometimes he doesn’t, and when the games really matter it’s harder to flip a switch. I think it also sets an inconsistent tone with the rest of the team when there’s so much variability in your alpha player’s game.

 

[egd27]

And we'd be left with Nylander to carry the torch. Yikes. They will overpay him for the following 4 years because nobody else will.

Well Nylander and Marner.
He'll still have 5 years left after 34's contract is up.

 

[Ports]

I might be going way of the wall here but that first shoulder injury he had in 2017-2018 season completely changed his perspective on physical play. I can't be the only one who can remembers Matthews in that Washington hunting the puck like a dog on raw meat. Literally the 1st and the only time we ever saw Matthews impose his will in the postseason.

The season where Matthews played his most physical was actually his rookie season, even to this day.

He hurt his shoulder in that collision with Trouba in front of the net a few years ago and missed some time but I don’t think it’s just that. I don’t think he has the courage to stand up for himself and his teammates or has the physical and mental toughness necessary to lead a team to a cup. None of their core group does. I hope he proves me wrong.

 

[Sypher04]

Matthews has got something of the “snipers curse” where he knows he can cut corners and make up for it with a goal here and there and what’s the difference?

He can play the full 200 foot game but sometimes he doesn’t, and when the games really matter it’s harder to flip a switch. I think it also sets an inconsistent tone with the rest of the team when there’s so much variability in your alpha player’s game.

You’ve made a lot of posts harping on Matthews consistency lately and virtually all of them are stretches imo

Matthews 200 ft game is always there and even his physical consistency is basically fully there at this point. There is some variability in his offensive effectiveness which need to be addressed but I think some of that is the nature of being far and away the best goalscoring option on the team. He needs to balance his attack between shooting and playmaking more and we saw some of that during his time with Domi and Bertuzzi.

He’s still got another gear he need to find with offensive consistency but his defensive game is very rarely missing

 

[Stephen]

You’ve made a lot of posts harping on Matthews consistency lately and virtually all of them are stretches imo

Matthews 200 ft game is always there and even his physical consistency is basically fully there at this point. There is some variability in his offensive effectiveness which need to be addressed but I think some of that is the nature of being far and away the best goalscoring option on the team. He needs to balance his attack between shooting and playmaking more and we saw some of that during his time with Domi and Bertuzzi.

He’s still got another gear he need to find with offensive consistency but his defensive game is very rarely missing

Well, obviously I’d disagree with your push back but too many times Matthews is no showing vs the weak teams. The approach is just a grab bag and that seems to be why we have our trap games on a seeming weekly basis. Matthews isn’t a bad defensive player at all but the work rate, intensity, physical play is always so variable for me.

 

[thewave]

Well, obviously I’d disagree with your push back but too many times Matthews is no showing vs the weak teams. The approach is just a grab bag and that seems to be why we have our trap games on a seeming weekly basis. Matthews isn’t a bad defensive player at all but the work rate, intensity, physical play is always so variable for me.

Matthews is fine when you put him with tough linemates just like Kadri(same effect). They put him with Marner and what do you expect? He has to do all the puck carrying after Mitch gets scared of being hit and passes it off.

Matthews is fine. 69 freaking goals playing with a coward is damn good.

I think Matthews could be a better goal scorer if he had different wingers over these years.

 

[cookie]

Matthews is fine when you put him with tough linemates just like Kadri(same effect). They put him with Marner and what do you expect? He has to do all the puck carrying after Mitch gets scared of being hit and passes it off.

Matthews is fine. 69 freaking goals playing with a coward is damn good.

I think Matthews could be a better goal scorer if he had different wingers over these years.

Honestly, splitting them would be better for both of their games. A Rocket Richard is great and all but it shouldn't come at the expense of debilitating the team's primary attack option. Whether it's even strength or on the man advantage, Marner, Rielly, and the rest of the Leafs players would default the puck to Matthews as opposed to playing hockey.

 

[thewave]

Honestly, splitting them would be better for both of their games. A Rocket Richard is great and all but it shouldn't come at the expense of debilitating the team's primary attack option. Whether it's even strength or on the man advantage, Marner, Rielly, and the rest of the Leafs players would default the puck to Matthews as opposed to playing hockey.

Exactly. Domi and Bert did a good enough job providing AM time and space. Were much more cost effective and improved overall team balance.

Keefe too dumb or scared to capitalize because Mitch Marner complaints apparently.

 

[cookie]

Exactly. Domi and Bert did a good enough job providing AM time and space. Were much more cost effective and improved overall team balance.

Keefe too dumb or scared to capitalize because Mitch Marner complaints apparently.

Maybe it's me reading too far into things but Keefe wanted to be as un-Babcock as possible. One of the first and the biggest move Keefe made as coach was splitting up Matthews and Nylander while pumping Marner (and the rest of the young guns) full of minutes. Both of these things were decisions Babcock was criticized for not doing.

It worked in the regular season since Matthews is "him" and Marner is a helluva 200ft player in his own right, but it was also masked legitimate tactical and structural issues with the team.

 

[Stephen]

Matthews is fine when you put him with tough linemates just like Kadri(same effect). They put him with Marner and what do you expect? He has to do all the puck carrying after Mitch gets scared of being hit and passes it off.

Matthews is fine. 69 freaking goals playing with a coward is damn good.

I think Matthews could be a better goal scorer if he had different wingers over these years.

Yeah Matthews does start to mirror Marner when they’ve been together too long and get comfy and lazy together. That’s his worst mode.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1805265541789049174