Is Matthews the worst playoff performer ever?

[Stephen]

Sure, but Tavares has been particularly awful out of the core 4, yet seems to get the least blame over the years. Why?

I’d say the plan with John over the past 2.5-3 years has been soft landing him to free agency and it hasn’t been as bad as first thought. Lowered expectations and a clear expiry date kind of thing.

 

[Iwishihadaspacebar]

After a game like that I think a captain's response should be: "I wasn't good enough. I'm the captain and I'm supposed to lead. I didn't do that tonight."

Yeah that's fair

 

[Crazy Monkey]

Lol. Where was Draisaitl against the same Cats in the SC finals last year?

I hate the oilers and they are lucky they struck gold/oil with McDavid. But they took a chance on Draisaitl and he has absolutely blown expectations out of the water. He shows up and is a gamer. Edmonton has been bragging about him forever and they at least have the stats to back it up

 

[Stephen]

Considering his skill level and status, he's without question one of the worst. He doesn't have that extra gear needed to be a playoff performer. This has been going on for a decade now. He is what he is. Anyone saying otherwise are just flat out wrong. Toronto are never going to win a championship with Matthews as their key guy. He completely disappears in the playoffs and when the player you build around does that there is no chance for the team.

It used to be cheering Matthews on to develop that extra playoff gear and find a new level, but now as of 2024-25 it’s just he inevitably slips into a much lower gear and has no inclination to do more. Spent the whole regular season in some bargaining mode. Lower production is okay if he’s ready for the playoffs. Nope. Even lower gear.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Matthews has a NMC. Treliving should 100% try and force AM to accept a trade because (imo) the return would be more important for the Leafs winning in the playoffs than what Matthews does. And by A LOT.

Vegas would do that. They wouldn’t keep someone who keeps failing with a contract like that.

 

[Oilslick941611]

I hate the oilers and they are lucky they struck gold/oil with McDavid. But they took a chance on Draisaitl and he has absolutely blown expectations out of the water. He shows up and is a gamer. Edmonton has been bragging about him forever and they at least have the stats to back it up

Good on you for admitting it.

The problem is some people make up their own reality about the oilers and shit on them for it.
People don’t watch the oilers and clear. They have same opinions on them they did during the bubble season, probably because that’s the only time they watched them because they played more EST games back then


There is no world in which the oilers can be compared to Toronto for thier failings. Matthews and marner are in a league of their own here.

 

[Frosty415]

The difference between the Oilers and the Leafs is that they play the Stanley Cup Champions every season in the playoffs. They don’t get to play Against Talbot every year.

You should research the things you spout

 

[Leafshater67]

How do Leaf fans and the beloved Toronto media keep piling on Matthews while completely absolving Tavares at the same time??? Let's play a game. Who would you rather have, playoff stats:

Tavares: 51GP, 17G, 14A, 31Pts (with PP time), -15!, strong at dot
Matthews: 68GP, 26G, 33A, 59Pts, +2, strong at dot

And that's while generally getting the easier offensive matchup since most teams primarily focused on shutting down Matthews' line. Sure, some of the Matthews criticism is more than fair, but idk how golden boy Tavares continues to get a pass.

Because Tavares isn’t a superstar in the middle of his prime. And they did.. they complained so much, the organization took away Tavares’ C.

 

[sampollock]

this what your capt says, when he sucked bad
real leader

 

[BeranekAndNeck]

this what your capt says, when he sucked bad
real leader

Zero accountability. He should lose the C at minimum, if not get punted at the first possible opportunity.

 

[Drytoast]

In the playoffs he's more of an elite checking shut down center. He's drastically over paid

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I've only just seen the Tavares press questions and it speaks volumes. He was asked about the "Too many passengers" comment and his response was (something like) "We all need to take responsibility individually and as a group", which is what a captain's response should be.

I wouldn't have any problem with Matthews "too many passengers" comment if he clarified by saying "starting with myself. I didn't do enough."

 

[Fatass]

I wouldn't have any problem with Matthews "too many passengers" comment if he clarified by saying "starting with myself. I didn't do enough."

No points for Nylander in games 4,5,6,7. Marner doing nothing while screaming at the bench. Matthews doing nothing and blaming him teammates. Do these three guys even like each other off the ice? It’s just a very strange dynamic.

 

[Iwishihadaspacebar]

I wouldn't have any problem with Matthews "too many passengers" comment if he clarified by saying "starting with myself. I didn't do enough."

Completely agree.

 

[Oilslick941611]

JT was pretty bad too. Just heard this on a podcast

The islanders won just as many series IN toronto without JT than the leafs have.

Crazy.

 

[Duke74]

Lol. Where was Draisaitl against the same Cats in the SC finals last year?

Broken ribs and a broken hand.

 

[Kennerback]

Broken ribs and a broken hand.

Maybe Matthews was playing injured too. He could have something broken.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

They all suck (to a lesser extent Nylander).

People outside of Toronto keep bouncing Tavares/Marner/Matthews as "OMG HOW CAN THEY BLAME ONE GUY???"

They're all getting and have been getting a ton of the blame for the entire time.

Matthews seems to get a pass from most Leaf fans for some reason

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Matthews comments post game was pathetic. That's not what a captain should say. You win together, and lose together. Even if that was true, you don't say that to the media. Ever. Bad leadership there.

Additionally, no one should ever compare him to the likes of McDavid/Draisaitl/MacKinnon/Kucherov ever again. Those 4 are gamers, Matthews is too busy buying man purses. He needs a real look in the mirror.

He does look in the mirror. A lot. You just can't use any man purse with any suit.

 

[NVious]

Matthews seems to get a pass from most Leaf fans for some reason

This was before game 7 and the passenger comments:

Thread 'Would you want the leafs to trade Matthew’s if they lose next game?'

Thursday at 1:36 AM

Matthew’s trade? I know he has a NMC but would you want management to do whatever it took for him to get to waive and trade?

• centipede2233
• Replies: 258
• Forum: Toronto Maple Leafs

• 

80% voted he must go.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

This was before game 7 and the passenger comments:

Thread 'Would you want the leafs to trade Matthew’s if they lose next game?'

Thursday at 1:36 AM

Matthew’s trade? I know he has a NMC but would you want management to do whatever it took for him to get to waive and trade?

• centipede2233
• Replies: 258
• Forum: Toronto Maple Leafs

• 

80% voted he must go.

Great, finally starting to see the light

As much as I hate on the Leafs (biggest Leafs hater in the world) the fans do deserve better even if extremely obnoxious, they have stuck with the team through absolute hell

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Maybe Matthews was playing injured too. He could have something broken.

Probably in his gut. No evidence of a heart so that can't be broken.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Maybe Matthews was playing injured too. He could have something broken.

His work ethic?

 

[Austerlitz]

Maybe Matthews was playing injured too. He could have something broken.

For the last nine years?

Here's where context and sample size matters and the, 'duhr, Florida shut down Draisaitl too' argument is disingenous and obvious nonsense.

Cherrypicking one series to argue a player with MORE CAREER PLAYOFF ASSISTS THAN MATTHEWS HAS POINTS also 'gets shut down' is just so silly, it doesn't even merit reply really. Although here I am doing it.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

In the playoffs he's more of an elite checking shut down center. He's drastically over paid

He and Barkov basically canceled each other out in this series. The problem for the Leafs is they had another Selke caliber center to do with.