Is Matthews the worst playoff performer ever?

[Mr Nogatco]

You do realize that the only team to beat the Oilers in the last…3 seasons in the playoffs are the cup winners right?
23/24- Panthers
22/23- Vegas
21/22 - Colorado

Whoop de doo

Matthews has played 6 game sevens.
Zero goals 3 assists.
Time and again he'll give you some points early in a round but slowly disappear as a series goes on.

37 year old Brad Marchand on Floridas 3rd line
12gp 3g 9a 12 pts +12

27 year old Matthews, 1st line
13gp 3g 8a 11pts ZERO+/-

Zero plus\minus yet he's a defensive juggernaut.

Marchand has heart and a SC ring.
Matthews has a nice car.

dont forget the 2020 game 5 vs Columbus which was functionally a game 7 (winner take all)

0g, 0a -1

 

[Drytoast]

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.

this is one series which doesn't explain 9 seasons of playoff sub par performance offensively

 

[sampollock]

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

that is the sad part
with mitch gone, now who do these fans blame?

 

[JFedol]

that is the sad part
with mitch gone, now who do these fans blame?

He's going to get exposed. 80-90pt centre, decent passer if not downright a mediocre playmaker.

2-way play does compensate though

 

[Iwishihadaspacebar]

this is one series which doesn't explain 9 seasons of playoff sub par performance offensively

I'd add to that, the Leafs had 9 power play opportunities since Tavares scored in game 3.

They score 0 goals in those 9 power plays. That's not Barkov shutting down Matthews, that's just pure underperformance at the biggest moments.

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

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

Missed the “myself included”
Not a good look from a guy wearing the C

Edit. Thought the 4th line played well. So who were the passengers?

 

[sampollock]

Missed the “myself included”
Not a good look from a guy wearing the C

Edit. Thought the 4th line played well. So who were the passengers?

core 5

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

I might get a reaction out of this, but besides his shot and playmaking abiity, what else does Matthews possess?

Even at the Four Nations, I feel like he's not as fast as I thought he was, and he is not physical at all (not that he has to be)

 

[Oilslick941611]

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

Draisaitl was still noticable and out there rallying the team and doing all he could. Matthews was a no show.

 

[Kennerback]

Draisaitl was still noticable and out there rallying the team and doing all he could. Matthews was a no show.

To fully maximize Matthews in the playoffs you need grit and muscles to make room for him. One or two power forward that are ill-tempered and pugnacious would have helped a lot. Unlike in the regular seasons, high skill non-physical forward can’t help him much in the playoffs. He’s the captain but he goes to war with the army he’s given.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

To fully maximize Matthews in the playoffs you need grit and muscles to make room for him. One or two power forward that are ill-tempered and pugnacious would have helped a lot. Unlike in the regular seasons, high skill non-physical forward can’t help him much in the playoffs. He’s the captain but he goes to war with the army he’s given.

They had that with Knies. It didn't matter. It has nothing to do with playstyle. It's all between the ears. Even Berube said it flat out that's what the issue was.

 

[Kennerback]

They had that with Knies. It didn't matter. It has nothing to do with playstyle. It's all between the ears. Even Berube said it flat out that's what the issue was.

Berube either blames the players or his bosses. He won’t blame his bosses.

 

[WarriorofTime]

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.

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You're in the playoffs every year, what are you doing in a 5-way tie for 29th in Playoff Goals since you came into the league (and also started making the playoffs)? At what point is the sample size only small because you're not scoring more?

 

[Coffey]

Regarding game 7s.

Because I’m not a hypocrite, McDavid ain’t that great either

And because I’m petty, neither is Mack

And because I’m honest, neither is Crosby

All scrubs to this guy

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Berube either blames the players or his bosses. He won’t blame his bosses.

It's the same team that shut out the Panthers 2-0 on the road 2 days earlier. The makeup is fine, it doesn't have to be perfect to win a 7 game series.

It's entirely a mental thing. The pressure is too intense. The fans throw beer and jerseys at their players and boo them off the ice in Toronto if they don't show up. They're terrified to lose, that's the problem, and I can't say I blame them.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

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

Leafs fans haul this excuse out nearly every season. Perhaps he was or perhaps he was simply being himself.

 

[Praetorian Caps]

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

I have a bad feeling Matthews will never have another gear for the playoffs. He's the modern day Joe Thornton.

He would be better on a team where he isn't the top forward. The only problem is he makes over $13M per year.

 

[geebster]

Regarding game 7s.

Because I’m not a hypocrite, McDavid ain’t that great either

View attachment 1039075

And because I’m petty, neither is Mack

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And because I’m honest, neither is Crosby

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All scrubs to this guy

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This is the kind of thing where people fail to use statistics correctly (or rather in an intelligible way).

If Player A is well over a point a game, is super visible, elevates their game in the playoffs etc and their game 7 production is lower than you normally see from them the logical conclusions are that its a small sample, they were shut down in those scenarios, had an odd night etc. Stars routinely produce less in game 7s.

That's quite different than Player B who is completely invisible in the majority of their playoff games continuing to be invisible in game 7. Young Ovie could have no points in a playoff game but you know for damn sure he took 8+ shot attempts and laid some hits. Matthews had 2 shots yesterday. In game 7 against Montreal he didn't even attempt a shot til almost 30 minutes into the game.

Whether a sample is consistent with the larger data set is important. Player A is more about circumstance and Player B is more of a problem with the player even if the samples look similar. Another simple example is if 2 people have a bad day of work on a Monday. If one of those is someone who has never been late and always been the best worker you got, the logical question is to ask them what happened. If the other guy is always slacking off and is simply doing what they always do... you dont ask them what happened you try to hire someone better.

 

[D Wakaluk]

Funny how there's always been excuses for this guy - his whole career up to this day.

The only thing he had to do after the game; give a decent captain-like answer, a task anyone with even minimal leadership abilities could muster

And what sayeth the golden boy? "It's everyone else's fault"

Hahaha .. I mean What the hell man! Is this dude really the captain of the laffs?? W H Y

He's so clueless and immature that he did not even understand that he made crystal clear for everyone what he is

Can any sane leaf fan still find excuses for Matthews?

 

[crowi]

I always thought Matthews was a dickhead before the "passengers" comment. I was right. Imagine having this guy as your f***ing captain. He is making the most money in the league and he is calling out some dudes making minimum and doing more.

He is absolutely the most pathetic, bald, entitled, baseball player cosplaying as hockey player of all time.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

...he's a Ken doll...nothin' there...

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

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

...bruised Fallopian Tube...

 

[Fatass]

I have a bad feeling Matthews will never have another gear for the playoffs. He's the modern day Joe Thornton.

He would be better on a team where he isn't the top forward. The only problem is he makes over $13M per year.

Thornton took the Sharks to a Cup Final and a Conference Final and won 7 times the amount of playoff series than Matthews has.

 

[647Hockey]

that is the sad part
with mitch gone, now who do these fans blame?

With Mitch gone (and likely JT too), AM stats will drop as well. As much as people rag on Marner, he does create offence in the regular season being a good passer.

If the leafs dont get any good scorers or passers to fill in for above, he'll have to rake in the goals and pts more on his own or hope Nylander and Knies can be the constant stream of help.

If Leafs lose JT and Marner and spend the money on 40 pt grinders or high priced dmen or goalies there's no way he's getting 50g/100 pt seasons.