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Speculation: Matthews still hurting

To me he looks fine. He's not avoiding contact, he's still involved in a ridiculous number of good scoring opportunities, and he's better than ever defensively.

I don't think you need to look for reasons why he isn't racking up a crazy number of points right now. He's getting double-teamed and played hard, and not necessarily drawing the amount of penalties he should for all the hooking/slashing/tripping/interference he has to play through. And he's such a good player that he's still fine, and still not relying on the PP for offensive production. If he's gonna be a star that doesn't get the 'star treatment' I'm fine with that. Crosby has had to play through it, Matthews is also good enough to do so.
 
Maybe he had it vs Calgary. It is his jump, and unwillingness to go into the corners, he looks like he is trying not to get hit that worried me. He did that shortly before he missed 2 weeks. I know our management (and DRs) wont let him play if he is injured. But something is off with him. He is still better than most players even injured, or not at 100 percent, but that is not the point. What I hate the most is guys now seem to be crossing checking him in the back, and no calls are being made, why do I think if that is Mcdavid or Crosby it gets called.

Last game tbh I think having two gritty, board play guys effected the 0 shots. Both Hyman and Brown are not the best of passers. I saw Matthews open quite a bit, and where a Marner or Nylander finds him those two didnt, which is why I think you see Marner with him tonight. Off topic Babcock was smart to change up the Bozak line so that Todd cannot throw out the Mcdavid line on him. Should be a good game, could be a route, Brossoit is not bad, but he is definitely not a top tier back up yet either. I also get the feeling one of Edmontons goons is going to run Matthews/Nylander or Marner tonight. Kassian is a top candidate for that and Maroon as well. I can pretty well guarantee a fight. It may well be that Kadri runs Mcdavid, and as long as its legal I say do it.
 
Not sure what game you watched the other night. He avoided contact (tried to). Normally he gets the puck in either zone along the boards and zips around and walks out with it. The Zetterberg board battle comes to mind. He did not do that whatsoever against Calgary, also he was reaching to try and win it back instead of his normal skate, stick lift tactic. Last time he reached like he did the other night was against VGK and he got a hooking penalty. Matthews is too good to be reaching, that fact alone says something is wrong. Whether injury, or like another poster just said apparently he has a cold, he was definitely not 100%. His D zone was ok but he also had several giveaways, which is not like him. He O zone was pretty non existent, and like my prior post said, maybe it was due to both his line mates being grinder type, not play making. Well he is with Marner tonight, and Marner has been on a tear, not just shots, but his passes are clicking, just Bozak is sucking so bad thus far they are not going in. In short the way Marner has been playing, you couple that with a star in Matthews and there is no reason why they do not have a huge night, (or a good night) unless Matthews plays the way he did in Calgary, no to little jump, reaching and avoiding contact.
 
jrgtml67 said:
Not sure what game you watched the other night. He avoided contact (tried to). Normally he gets the puck in either zone along the boards and zips around and walks out with it. The Zetterberg board battle comes to mind. He did not do that whatsoever against Calgary, also he was reaching to try and win it back instead of his normal skate, stick lift tactic. Last time he reached like he did the other night was against VGK and he got a hooking penalty. Matthews is too good to be reaching, that fact alone says something is wrong. Whether injury, or like another poster just said apparently he has a cold, he was definitely not 100%. His D zone was ok but he also had several giveaways, which is not like him. He O zone was pretty non existent, and like my prior post said, maybe it was due to both his line mates being grinder type, not play making. Well he is with Marner tonight, and Marner has been on a tear, not just shots, but his passes are clicking, just Bozak is sucking so bad thus far they are not going in. In short the way Marner has been playing, you couple that with a star in Matthews and there is no reason why they do not have a huge night, (or a good night) unless Matthews plays the way he did in Calgary, no to little jump, reaching and avoiding contact.
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Doubt Babs will dress him if he isn't 100% against McDavid.
 
Who ISN’T hurt in the playoffs? He was invisible, can’t or won’t accept personal responsibility, and doesn’t elevate his game.
Throwing his teammates under the bus with the “passengers” comment surely isn’t going to go unnoticed in the room.
I have a friend that coached Matthews as a teen, and he said before the Leafs even drafted him that he was an arrogant and egotistical presence who’d never win anything. Here we are nine years later, and it’s a take that’s been proven to be 100% bang on.
 
Kevinsane said:
Who ISN’T hurt in the playoffs? He was invisible, can’t or won’t accept personal responsibility, and doesn’t elevate his game.
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There's hurt, and then there's hurt. I think it's obvious that he's dealing with something much more than the usual bumps and bruises that players have this time of year.
Kevinsane said:
Throwing his teammates under the bus with the “passengers” comment surely isn’t going to go unnoticed in the room.
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Yeah I couldn't believe he said that, just gross. And that from the captain of the team, just awful. And he said Marner's like a brother to him, and then Marner said he agrees with Matthews about the passengers, what a pair those two are. The best thing for the team would be to trade them both ASAP.
Kevinsane said:
I have a friend that coached Matthews as a teen, and he said before the Leafs even drafted him that he was an arrogant and egotistical presence who’d never win anything. Here we are nine years later, and it’s a take that’s been proven to be 100% bang on.
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That's interesting. Also sad stuff and reinforces my opinion that him and Marner are a match made in heaven.
 
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Matthews is hurt which is why his production is down, he ALWAYS seems to be hurt whenever his production drops.

Just a reminder from last season: Injuries to Oilers' McDavid & Draisaitl Revealed After Stanley Cup Final: Report

McDavid is dealing with an abdominal injury that likely requires surgery. Draisaitl, meanwhile, had a broken rib and broken finger.

“The war of attrition took its toll on the Oilers. Head coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t divulge any information Monday night after the loss, but both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been playing through significant injuries, Oilersnation has learned.

Yet McDavid and the Oilers got to within 1 game of winning the cup, McDavid with 42 points in 25 playoff games (more points per game than his regular season totals) and Draisaitl with 31 points and 10 goals in 25 games.

Why can other stars, year after year play though injuries and produce points and wins with them, yet through a variety of injuries they are an excuse for a massive drop-off in production for Matthews year after year after year?

So, the last 2 seasons Matthews has played in the playoffs, but he has played 'hurt' (supposedly and likely) and has produced at an 82 'game pace' of 18 goals and 50 assists.

Last year Draisatl and McDavid were playing with some pretty nasty stuff (injuries) and last year they produced at an 82 game pace/rate of 26 goals and 111 assists (Yes, 111) for McDavid and 33 goals and 69 assists for Draisaitl.

I know we don't know the exact injuries, but c'mon, that is the problem with Matthews and this team in the playoffs.
 
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Gary Nylund said:
There's hurt, and then there's hurt. I think it's obvious that he's dealing with something much more than the usual bumps and bruises that players have this time of year.

Yeah I couldn't believe he said that, just gross. And that from the captain of the team, just awful. And he said Marner's like a brother to him, and then Marner said he agrees with Matthews about the passengers, what a pair those two are. The best thing for the team would be to trade them both ASAP.

That's interesting. Also sad stuff and reinforces my opinion that him and Marner are a match made in heaven.
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I’ll never understand, and it’s spawned major empathy for you longtime Leafs fans, how neither of those guy could take over a Game Seven at least ONCE.
 
Kevinsane said:
I’ll never understand, and it’s spawned major empathy for you longtime Leafs fans, how neither of those guy could take over a Game Seven at least ONCE.
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Even harder to understand is that a big reason we always lose, is that we can't score. Half the cap to 4 forwards, and they can't score. We score 1 goal every single time except the game 5 deciding game against CLB where we got shut out. And in these 4 home winner-take-all games, they've never even held the lead.
  • 2020 v CBJ: Lost 3-0
  • 2021 v MTL: Lost 3-1 (scored after being down 3-0)
  • 2022 v TBL: Lost 2-1 (scored to tie game at 1-1)
  • 2025 v FLA: Lost 6-1 (scored after being down 3-0)

And Matthews talks about "passengers", just unbelievable.
 
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Gary Nylund said:
Even harder to understand is that a big reason we always lose, is that we can't score. Half the cap to 4 forwards, and they can't score. We score 1 goal every single time except the game 5 deciding game against CLB where we got shut out. And in these 4 home winner-take-all games, they've never even held the lead.
  • 2020 v CBJ: Lost 3-0
  • 2021 v MTL: Lost 3-1 (scored after being down 3-0)
  • 2022 v TBL: Lost 2-1 (scored to tie game at 1-1)
  • 2025 v FLA: Lost 6-1 (scored after being down 3-0)

And Matthews talks about "passengers", just unbelievable.
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Making him captain was a huge mistake. That seems to me like a Shanahan brain-wave/ cramp.
 
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Gary Nylund said:
Even harder to understand is that a big reason we always lose, is that we can't score. Half the cap to 4 forwards, and they can't score. We score 1 goal every single time except the game 5 deciding game against CLB where we got shut out. And in these 4 home winner-take-all games, they've never even held the lead.
  • 2020 v CBJ: Lost 3-0
  • 2021 v MTL: Lost 3-1 (scored after being down 3-0)
  • 2022 v TBL: Lost 2-1 (scored to tie game at 1-1)
  • 2025 v FLA: Lost 6-1 (scored after being down 3-0)

And Matthews talks about "passengers", just unbelievable.
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Too many passengers and no one driving the bus, but we knew that going into the season and at the TDL.

I said it many times this year that expecting guys like Knies, Domi, Patches, and McMann to carry this team through the playoffs was too much for them to carry, but that’s the only hope they had.
 
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