Is Matthews the worst playoff performer ever?

[mr figgles]

Usually underwhelming, and never more than whelming. I think we could find worse out there.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Yeah, bad luck he’s been conveniently inured every single playoffs in his entire career. That’s probably the worst luck on the planet

Convenient? Id say highly ‘inconvenient’.

Guy has had rotten luck with injuries. That’s just a fact. The whole ‘everyone plays hurt’ is dumb. By all means, pile on though…

 

[Leafshater67]

No and anyone who thinks so doesn't know puck.

I think I know puck enough to see a guy who’s a superstar in the regular season and not even ppg in the playoffs. His game falls apart when it matters most and has every single year. This season is not an outlier.

 

[elmaco]

Regular season merchant

 

[BraveCanadian]

Among star players he has to be up near the top of the list for worst playoff performers.

The difference between his potential and what you get is a Joe Thornton sized gap and then some.

He has zero elevation to his game and is actually just way worse in the playoffs.

It’s really something I’ve never seen before.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

For what he is paid, what he has done in the regular season, and for the players he is often lumped in with. He needs to up his game in the playoffs.

McDavid 133 pts in 83 PGP
Draisaitl 123 pts in 83 PGP
Mackinnon 124 pts in 95 PGP

Matthews 58 pts in 65 PGP

Just to really sink in how underwhelming Matthews has been relative to other 8 digit players.

Elias Pettersson has: 24 pts in 30 PGP. This includes last season where he put up a paltry 6 points in 13 playoff games.

It's fine to say he's currently playing injured. I'd even believe it given how lackluster his season has been. At some point though, you can't keep blaming injuries when every time the playoffs roll around, he just can't seem to get the job done. He's playing good defensively, sure. You don't pay a guy 13M to be good defensively.

 

[stealth1]

Convenient? Id say highly ‘inconvenient’.

Guy has had rotten luck with injuries. That’s just a fact. The whole ‘everyone plays hurt’ is dumb. By all means, pile on though…

Yes injuries have been a factor but even with that there is no way he's injured every playoffs. While Matthews is still a very good player, he doesn't have that next level to take over a game like other guys that are paid like him.

You watch the other top guys in the league like McDavid, Draisaitl or MacKinnon and then watch Matthews. The first 3 go to another level come playoff time. Matthews plays the same as he does in the regular season

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Yes injuries have been a factor but even with that there is no way he's injured every playoffs. While Matthews is still a very good player, he doesn't have that next level to take over a game like other guys that are paid like him.

You watch the other top guys in the league like McDavid, Draisaitl or MacKinnon and then watch Matthews. The first 3 go to another level come playoff time. Matthews plays the same as he does in the regular season

I agree he’s been underwhelming overall. But he’s had shit luck with injuries, especially in the past few years.

 

[rdogg]

Yes he's the biggest choker ever.

Look no further than the 4 nations

 

[Sens9292]

He’s committed every spring to his disappearing act.

 

[cvaicunas]

Who said that?

It’s been well documented all season long. He even flew to Germany to have it addressed.

Deciding to ignore what’s been in front of us all season doesn’t make it illegitimate.

People just trolling, why take the bait. Although it is concerning, they seemingly could not fix the issue last offseason. I think there is valid reason to be concerned this wrist injury may have long term implications.

 

[KingsFan7824]

McDavid
Reg Sea - 42 goals per 82 games, 125pts
Playoffs - 40g, 131pts

Draisaitl
Reg Sea - 41g, 99pts
Playoffs - 45g, 122pts

MacKinnon
Reg Sea - 35g, 96pts
Playoffs - 47g, 108pts

Matthews
Reg Sea - 52g, 95pts
Playoffs - 32g, 73pts

The whole thing with Matthews is that he's a goal scorer, and that goal average drops like a rock in the playoffs. He's still good, a 30 goal average per 82 playoff games isn't nothing, but it's not close to 50.

Ovechkin
Reg Sea - 49g, 89pts
Playoffs - 39g, 75pts

Sort of similar to Matthews, although the dip isn't as bad. The Caps do have just the one Cup though, when people thought they should've have more.

Crosby
Reg Sea - 38g, 102pts
Playoffs - 32g, 92pts

 

[shaner8989]

He’s a choker forsure. He’s also extremely injured. He can’t even shoot.

 

[Maverick41]

I have no medical background nor have I ever played hockey myself or any other sport at a high level. Just a bit of tennis at a low level many, many years ago.
But what I don't get about the injury thing, and maybe someone more knowledgable can explain this to me, what kind of wrist injury has the following properties:

• It is painful enough that it affects a players shooting ability this much, while at the same time not having that much of an impact on any other areas of his game.
• It takes so much time to heal that it makes no sense to shut him down during the season until he is actually fully recovered. It's not like the Leafs would have been in any real danger to miss the playoffs without him. Or did he have different injuries earlier that he did recover from, and this only happened later? In that case this would explain it.
• Playing through it causes no adverse long term effects, so it is not necessary for him to heal now and he can just keep playing as he has without fear of aggravating it.

That is just a bit of curiosity on my part, because it just feels kind of weird, but like I said, I have no idea if this might actually something quite normal.

But injuries aside, I do believe that Matthews, who is one of my least favourite players, is still a very useful player even in the playoffs, and whatever the reasons for his diminished scoring (especially goal scoring) may be, he is certainly not the worst playoff performer, not even in relation to his cap hit.
I am sure Leafs fans would love to see more of the regular season scoring from him (but even that was down this season, which lends credibility to the injury explanation), but if others can pick up the slack it won't matter, and should they win the cup this year, I am sure they won't give a damn if Matthews doesn't score another goal the rest of the way.

 

[Voight]

He's PPG this year in the playoffs, and has 58 in 65 for his career. Yea, you'd maybe want your star player to have that extra gear but his performance isn't as bad as some on this site make it out to be.

He could do a lot better goal wise given thats his bread and butter but he really isn't as bad as you'd think.

 

[KevinRedkey]

If he were a 3rd liner, people would be claiming his faceoff win% is very impactful and being a point per game is amazing. Reality is he's the highest paid player in the league, and has never showed he's deserving of that in the playoffs.

Relative to expectations, him and Thornton come to mind for this thread. Nothing a cup or one solid run can't change (for Matthews) though. I remember Bobrovsky being called a bad playoff goalie before last year for example.

 

[TD Charlie]

If he were a 3rd liner, people would be claiming his faceoff win% is very impactful and being a point per game is amazing. Reality is he's the highest paid player in the league, and has never showed he's deserving of that in the playoffs.

Relative to expectations, him and Thornton come to mind for this thread. Nothing a cup or one solid run can't change (for Matthews) though. I remember Bobrovsky being called a bad playoff goalie before last year for example.

It's happened for the last week and a half.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Guy has never scored a goal past the first round LMAO

 

[I am not exposed]

Nice jinx thread!

Guaranteed Matthews hattrick next game

 

[Lahey]

I cant think of a worse example of a skater whose play so consistently drops off every playoffs and I’ve been watching hockey for 30 years.

This guy is supposed to be a superstar and has a C on his jersey now and it’s the same old. 60 goal man in the regular season, 30 goal pace in the playoffs at best. He wasn’t good at 4 nations either.

It’s time to stop making excuses for this guy IMO.

Thread started by “leafshater67” hmmmmmm

 

[Dr Pepper]

If there was ever a time for Matthews to finally wake up and start producing, Wednesday night would certainly be one of those times. Not liking Toronto's chances if they have to bank on more heroics from Pacioretty or some other bottom-sixer to get the team through this round.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

3 goals in his last 20 playoff games...until he proves otherwise he absolutely is relative to expectations of course. Always a preloaded excuse for his lack of performance every year too.

 

[notbias]

For what he is paid, what he has done in the regular season, and for the players he is often lumped in with. He needs to up his game in the playoffs.

McDavid 133 pts in 83 PGP
Draisaitl 123 pts in 83 PGP
Mackinnon 124 pts in 95 PGP

Matthews 58 pts in 65 PGP

One Cup amongst the bunch (thanks to Makar), it sucks that McDavid/Drai sucked when it mattered most.

Just to really sink in how underwhelming Matthews has been relative to other 8 digit players.

Elias Pettersson has: 24 pts in 30 PGP. This includes last season where he put up a paltry 6 points in 13 playoff games.

It's fine to say he's currently playing injured. I'd even believe it given how lackluster his season has been. At some point though, you can't keep blaming injuries when every time the playoffs roll around, he just can't seem to get the job done. He's playing good defensively, sure. You don't pay a guy 13M to be good defensively.

They confirmed he was injured in October or something, they mentioned it during a media scrum and said they'd manage it all year.

It's common knowledge amongst Leafs fans who actually pay attention (not implying you).

 

[x Tame Impala]

He is dominating again, like always

PPG, Selke defence and his adjusted goals put him at 10 goals these playoffs. Only Rantanen is anywhere close.

This guy is a playoff beast and deserves to be the highest paid athelete in hockey

How do you adjust goals for a single playoff campaign?

 

[LightningStrikes]

Interesting how guys like Matthews or Stamkos are a menace in the regular season but can’t flip the switch in the playoffs and just perform “ok” at or around ppg pace but with fewer goals and clutch moments. Sure, they get analyzed and collapsed on by opponents more but it’s the same for all the other star players but they keep performing and find other ways to contribute.

Is it a phenomenon reserved for the sniper type of player? I don’t think so, Draisaitl, Connor or Nylander seem to do just fine right now.