Just winning without #34 in the lineup

[inthe6ix]

38-19-2 now:

Toronto Maple Leafs are better without Auston Matthews

This may sound crazy, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are better off without Auston Matthews. As proven by their 4-0 win on Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins,

editorinleaf.com

So, am I trying to say that the Leafs should trade Matthews tomorrow and they should try to win a Stanley Cup without him? Absolutely not. This team clearly needs him, but I'm trying to prove a point that the core-four can be and should be broken up.

Click to read more...

 

[Dekes For Days]

No, the Leafs are not better without Matthews. Silly article is silly.

 

[ACC1224]

Yikes!!
Pretty dumb take.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Put matthews on the 3rd line

 

[CapspaceKiller]

Well this was obvious. So many people just don't like him and have short memories.

 

[DarkKnight]

Silly silly take. That guy is a tire fire of bad takes.

109 point pace without him though speaks to how people step up in his absence.

 

[weems]

I think this is more, when a team loses such an integral player, the focus and intensity takes a short term boost.

It's a easy message from the coach, that everyone now needs to step up because in theory they're shorthanded.

These types of sample sizes are like 3-5 games and If it lasted say 20+ games, I'm not sure the team would be looking quite as good because you wouldn't as easily be able to sustain the upped intensity the longer the sample size increases.

 

[BayStBullies]

The issue is that many of these players become one dimensional support players when Matthews is around. Especially the powerplay. That isn't on Matthews.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

For those who didn't know Stephen Nixon was marketing and sales director of the Marlies and a personal friend of Kyle Dubas.

They even went to the same school together. Brothers in arms he celebrated with Kyle when the Marlies won the Calder Cup. Apparently even received a ring for the victory himself.

You can check out his Linked In profile here.

I actually took the two minutes to read the article. So I know what he wrote isn't the hot take some say it is. All he did was repeat the same thing many of us on this site have said so many times already.

That the team's winning record without Matthews in the lineup is a good reason to split the core four up when he returns.

If hockey is a strong link game that should apply to the individual lineups as well. According to the Marnerites Marner's statistics when Matthews is out of the lineup are fantastic. The evidence is pretty clear they should be splitting the talent up and putting all of MNM on their own lines.

I don't think it's such a hot take.

Edit: I read it again and it's kinda ambiguous. He might be saying to trade one of them. The team is so good it has a winninng record whenever any one of them is out so trading one of them won't make a difference.

I don't think that's such a hot take either.

 

[IPS]

Well offensively the core four appear weaker at 5 on 5, but the PP has gotten a giant boost with the new way they run it without Matthews. It's a good lesson that more talent and skill is not always better for the PP, sometimes just a couple of really skilled guys doing the majority of the puck movement and a couple guys who are really good at a few specific things can lead to a better and more productive PP.

 

[Leafsfan74]

38-19-2 now:

Toronto Maple Leafs are better without Auston Matthews

This may sound crazy, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are better off without Auston Matthews. As proven by their 4-0 win on Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins,

editorinleaf.com

This isn't unusual for most teams as long as they have reasonable depth. Players will give that 10% that we might not easily see when watching but the players themselves know. It could be not cheating that extra meter, finishing your check, being prepared to block a few more shots.

I recall perhaps the greatest defensive effort of the Leafs against the Oilers during covid when Matthews was out, Leafs won 3 or 4 to nothing and they stifled McDavid and the Oilers all night, clogging up the neutral zone, blocking shots etc.

Overcoming his loss is particular easier now with the strong defense the team has but even in years past I would be willing to wager than the Leafs G.A.A is much lower when he isn't in the game.

Leafs also have a winning record without Marner as it were. Not to the same degree but regardless it is a winning record.

 

[DitchMarner]

If hockey is a strong link game that should apply to the individual lineups as well. According to the Marnerites Marner's statistics when Matthews is out of the lineup are fantastic. The evidence is pretty clear they should be splitting the talent up and putting all of MNM on their own lines.

I don't think it's such a hot take.

Edit: I read it again and it's kinda ambiguous. He might be saying to trade one of them. The team is so good it has a winninng record whenever any one of them is out so trading one of them won't make a difference.

I don't think that's such a hot take either.

Realistically, if you have more than $40 mil tied up in four forwards, you should have three good lines.

Tavares really can't carry a line or drive offense that well at this stage of his career. He needs Nylander or Marner on his line to boost him.

I'm not sure what the benefit if of having Matthews with Marner or Nylander all the time. I remember Matthews used to produce quite well playing with guys like Johnsson and Kapanen. Granted, that was before he became the best goal scorer in the League and a top ten calibre point producer.

Marner can carry the puck and make plays. He'd definitely get the third line going. That line is putting nothing on the score sheet right now. I wouldn't mind seeing Marner on the third line when Matthews returns, but I don't think the team will go for that. The optics of a core player on a third line might not be so good.

 

[colchar]

Editor in Leaf sucks. I have no idea why anyone would read it, much less post links to it.

 

[Apex Predator]

As long as leafs keep winning they should be patient with Matthews returning. Take your time to make sure he is 100%.

 

[Niagara Bill]

Maybe we have found our 3rd line center.

 

[Stephen]

The Leafs tend to be at their very worst when they have that NBA starting 5 mentality with all the big guns stacked and unmotivated and everyone else in bench warmer mode, so in the short term it's addition by subtraction.

But what you need is Matthews on top of his game, focused and ready to take it to the next level and this version of the team playing behind him. And hopefully keep Marner and Matthews apart. Let Marner play drive with full creative control and not have to look for Auston. Auston on his own line with Domi, playing with more force and power, with JT, Nylander and Pacioretty continuing to do what they do.

 

[ITM]

For those who didn't know Stephen Nixon was marketing and sales director of the Marlies and a personal friend of Kyle Dubas.

They even went to the same school together. Brothers in arms he celebrated with Kyle when the Marlies won the Calder Cup. Apparently even received a ring for the victory himself.

You can check out his Linked In profile here.

I actually took the two minutes to read the article. So I know what he wrote isn't the hot take some say it is. All he did was repeat the same thing many of us on this site have said so many times already.

That the team's winning record without Matthews in the lineup is a good reason to split the core four up when he returns.

If hockey is a strong link game that should apply to the individual lineups as well. According to the Marnerites Marner's statistics when Matthews is out of the lineup are fantastic. The evidence is pretty clear they should be splitting the talent up and putting all of MNM on their own lines.

I don't think it's such a hot take.

Edit: I read it again and it's kinda ambiguous. He might be saying to trade one of them. The team is so good it has a winninng record whenever any one of them is out so trading one of them won't make a difference.

I don't think that's such a hot take either.

That's the most interesting thing on this thread. Thanks! I didn't know that.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Maybe we have found our 3rd line center.

Yea you can put matthew in the 3rd and 4th lines and cause a mismatch for the competitions

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

They are better without him, He's a horrible leader and toxic teammate.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Well offensively the core four appear weaker at 5 on 5, but the PP has gotten a giant boost with the new way they run it without Matthews. It's a good lesson that more talent and skill is not always better for the PP, sometimes just a couple of really skilled guys doing the majority of the puck movement and a couple guys who are really good at a few specific things can lead to a better and more productive PP.

The confusing thing is there’s prior art on the PP set up that’s been successful for a decade, Ovi just standing at the circle opens up room for everyone else to do their thing, they don’t auto-defer to him on every possession. It’s not rocket appliances.

 

[Buds17]

Good teams can apparently get by when missing good players for a stretch. Who knew?

Consider me thankful for this not being a discussion that's related to the playoffs.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Good teams can apparently get by when missing good players for a stretch. Who knew?

Consider me thankful for this not being a discussion that's related to the playoffs.

w/o Nylander: 37 games, 52 points out of a possible 74 (70.3%)
w/o Matthews: 59 games, 78 points out of a possible 118 (66.1%)
w/o Marner: 42 games, 45 points out of a possible 84 (53.5%)

 

[Dough72]

think it's just randomness. Which leads to stat weirdness.

 

[Maple Leaf]

think it's just randomness. Which leads to stat weirdness.

I mean if you are not looking to get matthew the puck on the PP you have to make someting happen yourself

 

[keonsbitterness]

think it's just randomness. Which leads to stat weirdness.

It obviously is, except to dumb people.