C Auston Matthews - ZSC Lions, NLA (2016 Draft) III

[Cat lover]

Kind of weird for a top prospect to have his season end this soon.

Maybe he can make team USA in IIHF Worlds?

 

[The Noot]

A big reason why the Lions got swept was Crawford refusing to adapt.

He structured the team very top heavy, with two great lines and 2 average lines.

Bern quickly realized that and matched their "shut down line" with Matthews' line and tried to take advantage of the Lions' bottom 6, which worked out quite nicely.

Now, instead of spreading out the top 6 players to beat Bern with their superior depth, Crawford/the Lions kept their game plan the same, even tried to rely even MORE on Matthews, and got burned for it.

 

[snizzbone*]

Maybe he can make team USA in IIHF Worlds?

He should be on that 100%. Eichel was last year and USA seems to bring a lot of young guys to it recently. I expect that tournament to make or break his Team NA chances.

 

[Rebuilt]

that's not even remotely true if a guy whose been putting up 0.66 goals per game cant score once in 4 games and gets 1 primary point i'd consider he choked too

An 18 year old rookie is supposed to 'carry' his pro team to playoff glory or ....'he choked' ?

Dial the bias down a notch.

 

[swissexpert]

A big reason why the Lions got swept was Crawford refusing to adapt.

He structured the team very top heavy, with two great lines and 2 average lines.

Bern quickly realized that and matched their "shut down line" with Matthews' line and tried to take advantage of the Lions' bottom 6, which worked out quite nicely.

Now, instead of spreading out the top 6 players to beat Bern with their superior depth, Crawford/the Lions kept their game plan the same, even tried to rely even MORE on Matthews, and got burned for it.

Crawford is awful, good luck to the NHL team giving that guy a chance next year....

Matthews is a very special player. Yes, he was not at his best during the playoffs but still one of the better players from Zürich.

He didn't choke like some here think, but he also couldn't save them like he did so often before.

 

[HockeyThoughts]

It seems when the guys start to close him up Matthews is a lot less effective. It's been the same in CHL,WJC and now in the playoffs where the opponent is better.. Wonder how he would have fared on more defensive leagues.

Auston Matthews has never played in the CHI..

 

[Acallabeth]

An 18 year old rookie is supposed to 'carry' his pro team to playoff glory or ....'he choked' ?

Not to mentioned that he scored 3 points in 4 games, and the guys who actually watch the NLA praised Matthews' game. I think the Capitals could still take a risk with their 1st round pick after a choke like that

I don't understand the claim that Mathews choked in the WJC. I saw every USA game twice and it sounds patently ridiculous when I hear someone say that. I didn't watch any of his games in this series so I can't say how he played, but not scoring a goal doesn't automatically mean he choked.

It's not like he literally choked, but I doubt you think he looked that impressive against good WJC teams.

 

[swissexpert]

Auston Matthews has never played in the CHI..

Champions Hockey League

 

[holyprime]

It's rather funny to read comments about Matthews choking from people who clearly haven't watched a single game. Can't wait till the Liiga-Playoffs start to make some baseless assumptions about some winger

There are many reasons the ZSC lost that series, from, as others have said, suboptimal coaching to starter coming back after several months to bad luck (waived off tying goal in game 2 that should've counted for instance). Matthews, just because he couldn't put the entire team on his back, wasn't one of them.

On the contrary, he showed that he is a reliable and quite well rounded first line center on a good team already. It's not like he was gifted with that much ice-time when everything was on the line for no particular reason.
He's very calm and not overly physical, which means his leadership isn't as visible as others and some may take this as lack of heart. He seems way to serious for that tough, kind of like Tavares in this regard.

Whoever gets him has their 1C problems solved.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

An 18 year old rookie is supposed to 'carry' his pro team to playoff glory or ....'he choked' ?

Dial the bias down a notch.

Yea, some people just can't wait to get their digs in. Apparently a U-18 gold and U-20 bronze are meaningless.

While Matthews apparent intensity has always been a criticism, he's also a big, smooth skating guy, and he's never going to be a banger. So he's going to look less engaged at times. But that doesnt mean hes not fighting to win, or cant play well when it matters. You can see when he's confident and feeling it, just how dominant he can be.

I predict he'll have a slow-ish start to his NHL rookie year, and then pick it up in the second half as he realizes how good he is.

 

[FazeLeaf*]

Come on no pull ups, come on no pulls.

Flames want another dropper.

Did Bennett actually drop because he couldnt do pull-ups or is that a joke?

 

[supermann_98]

A big reason why the Lions got swept was Crawford refusing to adapt.

He structured the team very top heavy, with two great lines and 2 average lines.

Bern quickly realized that and matched their "shut down line" with Matthews' line and tried to take advantage of the Lions' bottom 6, which worked out quite nicely.

Now, instead of spreading out the top 6 players to beat Bern with their superior depth, Crawford/the Lions kept their game plan the same, even tried to rely even MORE on Matthews, and got burned for it.

Crawford refusing to adapt is the reason why Canada lost to the Czechs back in the olympics so no surprise there.

 

[Paxon]

Did Bennett actually drop because he couldnt do pull-ups or is that a joke?

No way he dropped because of it. It's hard to argue he dropped at all really because of how close the top three forwards were and still are.

 

[Aceboogie]

Are people criticizing a 18 year old playing in a friggen pro league for not being clutch in playoffs? my god haha

The fact he was looked at as go to player on his NLA team is simply amazing. Any other prospect in this draft would be a 2nd line incidental guy

 

[Keystone]

I've never seen interviews with Matthews, and was curious about his persona. I think going to Switzerland was a good idea, but it also shows a willingness to go against the norm if that's best for him. As a jets fan I have this insecure Eric Lindros draft scenario stuck in my head if we had 1OA.

 

[FinlandPanther]

Are people criticizing a 18 year old playing in a friggen pro league for not being clutch in playoffs? my god haha

The fact he was looked at as go to player on his NLA team is simply amazing. Any other prospect in this draft would be a 2nd line incidental guy

Completely untrue on the 2nd line part as there are other great talents in this draft like Pulju and Laine who would definitely be go to guys. However the knock on Matthews intensity is borderline ridiculous. I watch a player all the time who lacks that physical, banger mentality and his name is Aleksander Barkov. I have seen posters say he is lazy, or not trying but I don't think anyone on this site would disagree that Barkov is a phenomenal two way talent who will do anything to win and gives 100%. Just because Matthews doesn't look like he's going headstrong all over the place doesn't mean he's not giving his all.

 

[Passchendaele]

An 18 year old rookie is supposed to 'carry' his pro team to playoff glory or ....'he choked' ?

Dial the bias down a notch.

This is ridiculous.

20 year old Wayne Gretzky tore apart every record in the book and his team still didn't make it out of the first round. I guess Wayne was a born choker as well.

 

[MardyBum]

Crawford is awful, good luck to the NHL team giving that guy a chance next year....

Matthews is a very special player. Yes, he was not at his best during the playoffs but still one of the better players from Zürich.

He didn't choke like some here think, but he also couldn't save them like he did so often before.

Nah, he choked. Cant win in the big game. Laine and Pulju should be going ahead of him...So the Jets can draft him if we dont win the lottery >_>.

 

[Anardil]

Alrighty then...The Habs will happily welcome this 'choker' to the team.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Did Bennett actually drop because he couldnt do pull-ups or is that a joke?

He didn't drop at all. He was taken fourth, and that top four could have gone in any order and no one would have been surprised.

 

[93LEAFS]

He didn't drop at all. He was taken fourth, and that top four could have gone in any order and no one would have been surprised.

If anything it would be the reason he couldn't do a pull up, which was his shoulder was a mess, and he played a very physical game that may be tough on him. But he didn't really slip, he went in the proper range.

 

[leaflover]

I'm getting a kick out of the top 3 playing in Europe. It takes me back to pre-internet days of digging deep to get a read on prospects as opposed to the super saturation that normally exists these days. If they played in North America there would be daily footage and every move they made would be dissected. Instead we have a little mystery spice in the recipe. Good stuff.

 

[Anth93]

I'm getting a kick out of the top 3 playing in Europe. It takes me back to pre-internet days of digging deep to get a read on prospects as opposed to the super saturation that normally exists these days. If they played in North America there would be daily footage and every move they made would be dissected. Instead we have a little mystery spice in the recipe. Good stuff.

Also makes them seem much better than they really are.

 

[BodaciousBeefBazooka]

I can see him in a blue jackets jersey. I don't think the leafs or the oilers will get him.

 

[SingleAallStar]

Also makes them seem much better than they really are.

I really don't agree with that. The WJC proved that they are very good. And yes I'm including Matthews as I thought he was great in WJC.

Im sure clips of Laine and Matthews tearing up the CHL would get both of them lots of hype. People find it pretty fun to post: PLD 3 more points and compare him to a guy who scored less in the past.

With less comparables these 3 have more caution towards them.