Is Matthews the worst playoff performer ever?

[Master P]

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.

When things tighten up in the playoffs its easier to shutdown players like Stamkos. All you have to do is take away the shooting lane and they're are essentially nullified.

I can see where people would think Matthews is in the same boat but that guy has size and some crazy good hands. I think he has got to be nursing an injury or something. If he's not then there is no reason he shouldn't be crashing the net every play.

 

[Shark Finn]

This is why I could never get behind Erik Karlsson. Seemed to care more about his styling than winning

Oh no, a man cares about their looks.

 

[Kranix]

he's playing injured for sure.

 

[MessierII]

Of this generation of stars he’s clearly the worst

 

[VivaLasVegas]

he's playing injured for sure.

But that's the thing: A seriously-injured, barely clinging to life Matthews is exactly the same in the playoffs as a 110% healthy Matthews.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

One of the biggest frauds ever, but gets a free pass. Somehow people will call Toronto a tough market though.

 

[Kranix]

But that's the thing: A seriously-injured, barely clinging to life Matthews is exactly the same in the playoffs as a 110% healthy Matthews.

not really. This year he has 2 goals in 10 games. In his playoff career excluding this year he's on a .45 gpg pace. All of his stats are diminished this year compared to his playoff career.

 

[OldCraig71]

Matthews always struck me as a player who didn't really enjoy the game. He has plenty of talent but isn't a Crosby type who will elevate his game when the team needs him to. He doesn't seem to take it too seriously and is the opposite of what Leaf Nation hoped he would be.

He might win a cup one day, but it won't be in a situation where he is expected to be the top dog, but rather, later in his career when he's a secondary piece.

It's a high-paying career for him, but not a passion. He is a good friend of Biebs and wears his purse to the rink so the cameras can see him and people can comment. I think he enjoys that, but isn't a hardcore 110 percent guy who cares about winning.

He's 27, 9 years into his career, and what is it that people are hoping for at this point? He is what he is, a great regular-season player who leaves fans wanting more in the playoffs. What I don't understand is his desire to be in a hockey-mad market and continue to disappoint the fans. It's like a fetish for him.

 

[PistolPete]

Oh no, a man cares about their looks.

There's caring about your general appearance and then there's Erik Karlsson and Austin Matthews

 

[Kennerback]

There's caring about your general appearance and then there's Erik Karlsson and Austin Matthews

Maybe it’s the others that don’t have enough self-respect?

 

[Idiot Stick]

Matty hatty watch game 5 confirmed

 

[holy]

Matty hatty watch game 5 confirmed

He could use one of those hats to cover his bal-

You know what, low blow. I won't go there.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

This is why I could never get behind Erik Karlsson. Seemed to care more about his styling than winning

Karlsson never dressed like that lol. He just liked his hair and his suits, which a lot of Swedes are like that.

Marc Methot who was Karlsson's d partner says Karlsson was very competitive and would be screaming at guys on the bench all the time, so I don't think he didn't care about winning. You rarely see Matthews yelling at guys during games, maybe once every now and then.

 

[Ignatius]

This is why people are jumping on the Leafs bandwagon (as they should!). Your hatred will make AM34 lifting the Cup so much more enjoyable.

 

[ProjectPanthers]

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.

Plenty of snipers continue to have success in the playoffs. Bure, Hull, Lemieux, Bossy, Sakic etc all continued their success into the post-season. Even a modern day sniper like Kirill Karpizov has 15 goals in 25 playoff games.

I know it's overstated but mentality is a big factor in the playoffs and I do think the problem lies between his ears.

 

[nowhereman]

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

In regards to Sid and OV, you're pulling averages from the careers of two guys in their late 30s vs. superstars in their prime. OV was a great playoff performer in his prime and miles ahead of Matthews. I just can't see Matthews ever having a series like Ovechkin did against the Pens in 2009.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

When the game is on the line in the playoffs, the cream rises to the top and want to have the puck. I just don't see that with Matthews.

IIRC, his elimination game numbers are horrible. When I watch Matthews in the playoffs, he looks like an very defensively-responsible 2C or 3C. He doesn't play like a star player. McDavid, MacKinnon, Draisatl, Tzachuk (I hate putting this a$$ clown on a good list ), Aho, Kucherov (during the Championship runs of Tampa) and others all are front-and-center come crunch time. Matthews isn't.

He may have some lingering injury this year, but that doesn't explain his indifferent play when the chips were down over his career. I suspect that Auston Matthews has far less passion for the game than McDavid and most of the others I cited. He looks like a guy "doing his job" to me and not a guy who yearns to be the Captain of a Stanley Cup Championship team.

That being said, he will have back-to-back hat tricks in games 5 & 6 and carry the Leafs to their first Cup since Lake Erie was a dew drop.

 

[Danarqhy]

Matthews is absolutely pathetic in the playoffs. There is NO excusing the trail of turds he lays out on the ice, year after year after year. And he's always injured, or he has uncotrollable shits, or God knows... there's always some convenient or mysterious excuse for why his PPG drops MASSIVELY when there is more pressure.

Let's face it, he just doesn't have it and it's time to accept him for what he is: the modern day Joe Thornton.

 

[ProjectPanthers]

In regards to Sid and OV, you're pulling averages from the careers of two guys in their late 30s vs. superstars in their prime. OV was a great playoff performer in his prime and miles ahead of Matthews. I just can't see Matthews ever having a series like Ovechkin did against the Pens in 2009.

Ya not fair at all to compare, Ovechkin had 20 goals in his first 28 playoff games

 

[I Hate Philadelphia]

Have you guys considered that maybe this is the time of the year when all of the new purse designs are revealed, and he's just really distracted & unable to focus on hockey? Show some compassion.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

#AlwaysLoseWithMatthews

 

[M88K]

Ladislav Nagy still holds this crown

 

[trellaine201]

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.

Idiot. If you actually watch hockey you will see he is clearly playing injured and in all likelihood need surgery IMO

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Idiot. If you actually watch hockey you will see he is clearly playing injured and in all likelihood need surgery IMO

Yeah but it's funny, he's hurt but his output and impact is exactly the same as all the other post seasons .

And what's stopping him from crashing the net? Because he's fine defensively at skating with his man and staying in the proper lanes defensively. People are talking like he's being held up by scotch tape and sticks out there

 

[Mrb1p]

Matthews or Hellebuyck Im not sure.

Actually probably Matthews as he IS a phenomenal goalscorer in the regular season. Hellebuyck is just plain poorly rated on account of STATS.

Id say that Matthews is about on par with how I rate him. A good top 15 C.