The Mighty Auston Matthews

[TheGreatOne11]

Big night from Matthews tonight.

 

[dimi78]

I tend to agree with you. Maybe it's one of those classic eye test issues where a big man who moves gracefully and with a ton of skill makes everything look effortless, but he does seem to have a "float" mode where the most he does in a shift is fly by a crowd and see if he can stick check something loose. Generally speaking you'd like to see him put his shoulder down and plow through the crowd.

It's about this When it's said that your skill can't outweigh your work ethic

Lots of skilled moves in this video but all are driven by a work ethic that puts the skill in position to show it's self.

When he's soring and the good feeling of yourself that comes with scoring he's like the video competing for every bit of ice. When he's not scoring and facing adversity he competes like JVR which is what we witnessed in the Boston series. I'm not worried about him he will get it. It's in him. Just not to the core of his game just yet. Post Season loosing is what normally teaches this into great players taking that step. Even the G.O.A.T. Gretzky had to learn that way from the sour taste of playoff loss. To win a cup your skill can't outweigh your compete for ice.

 

[Polaris1010]

Babcock is right. Hyman should play with Matthews.

Last game, the reason the Leafs loss was that poor defensive zone coverage by Matthews lead to a goal against, and a poor giveaway by Matthews in the defensive zone lead to a goal against.

Hyman would only make a boo-boo like that maybe once every 20 games. Here was Matthews doing it twice in game, basically giving the other team half its goal total in that game.

What are you going to do? Blame Marner for not scoring 3 goals against Minnesota?

Put Hyman back with Matthews already. Enough fooling around.

The team wants to win right?

 

[Apotheosis]

I just want Matthews to be Matthews basically every night. When he's on, he has great vision, generates chances every time he gets in the opposing zone, guys bounce off of him and he's one of the best in the league at generating turnovers and stripping the puck. He has Art Ross potential, we all know this. It's likely he finishes with 80+ points despite the missed games. He is a premier talent. We just need him to be him every night. If that happens, the league is done. Ain't nobody stopping a guy who's offensive ceiling is basically the same as what Mackinnon was doing last year and this year while being a better goalscorer and having a team with Nylander, Marner and Tavares behind him. If Matthews truly starts dominating again (which he will at some point), a run against Tampa isn't out of the question.

 

[Apotheosis]

Babcock is right. Hyman should play with Matthews.

Last game, the reason the Leafs loss was that poor defensive zone coverage by Matthews lead to a goal against, and a poor giveaway by Matthews in the defensive zone lead to a goal against.

Hyman would only make a boo-boo like that maybe once every 20 games. Here was Matthews doing it twice in game, basically giving the other team half its goal total in that game.

What are you going to do? Blame Marner for not scoring 3 goals against Minnesota?

Put Hyman back with Matthews already. Enough fooling around.

The team wants to win right?

No, please. We seriously don't need to see that again. How many metrics do you people need until it's ingrained that Hyman is pound for pound one of the worst offensive players in the league?

 

[Polaris1010]

To win a cup your skill can't outweigh your compete for ice.

If this team still plays like this at the end of the season, in the playoffs it will not beat Tampa, Washington or Pittsburgh. It may not even beat Boston the way it is going.

They can improve. But that has to start very soon.

 

[Polaris1010]

No, please. We seriously don't need to see that again. How many metrics do you people need until it's ingrained that Hyman is pound for pound one of the worst offensive players in the league?

It's about defense, not offense.

Matthews is just not that good without the puck.

He's still a young center. He still does not know what to do in every situation. That cost the team the last game.

If he can't do it, and nothing so far indicates Matthews can play good defense on a consistent basis, you have no choice but to put Hyman with Matthews. They could do Brown with Matthews, but Nylander and Johnsson with Matthews, that is no good. Two or three years from now, that could be real good, but now, it's not.

 

[saffronleaf]

Auston is due for a multi-goal game and tonight is ripe for that to happen.

I'd be content with some solid stickhandling, a few shots on goal, some forechecking and possession in the offensive zone, no major turnover and no injury

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I don't care at all what Matthews does for the season. I do want to see elite effort in the playoffs.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

If he was willing to sign the Tavares deal, he'd be signed by now. I think he gets 12.

Overpay unless 8 years.

I'm a huge Matthews fan. But his play does not warrant an asking price in McDavid range if that's what he wants. He has not playrd well the last couple of weeks and needs to step it up.

This.

Babcock is right. Hyman makes that mistake maybe once every 20 games. Here was Matthews doing it twice in game, basically giving the other team half its goal total

The first goal was on Matthews.

 

[Raging Bull]

Matthews is fine away from the puck in general, he's been inconsistent this year but he's not a liability or even below average. Young player learning, regardless of how good he is.

 

[Griffin76]

This isn't particularly true at all. I get it Matthews is a legit stud player that people have fallen in love with but this is what's frustrating about Matthews is that he's capable of being an elite player who works just as hard in competing where his skill isn't outweighing his commitment to his teammates to work hard but that's not been the case with him. When he's scoring he competes like a beast when he's not scoring his compete is what's missing and looks like he sulks to be honest... Marner is the one who brings it all the time even when he's not scoring, same with JT.

That's not particularly true either. All star players take a few shifts off each game including Marner and Tavares. We all see our favs in different lights. They all have bad giveaways, lazy backchecks and missed assignments at times.

 

[Bronxxx]

Scored. Back to regular programming.

 

[Liminality]

Lol at the people overreacting at his recent play.

 

[Stephen]

I don't care at all what Matthews does for the season. I do want to see elite effort in the playoffs.

He's still actually too young to get the regular season "pass." For me he has to just bring it all the time because he hasn't built up that legacy yet for us to only need him to show up in the playoffs.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Scored. Back to regular programming.

3 point night.
Nylander shoots blanks (again).

 

[Liminality]

3 point night.
Nylander shoots blanks (again).

Played really well on that line though, surprised he didn't pick up a point when he was helping create those chances.

Hopefully he sticks with Matthews, they're a good duo.

 

[TMLS]

shocker that he breaks out when that plug marleau not on his line.

 

[Judas Tavares]

I feel like if auston doesn't get a couple of those Buffalo OT goal shots off a game, he's considered to have had a bad game / been invisible.

 

[Gabriel426]

I still think he is not 100%

 

[Mitchy]

With his 3 points against the Canucks, he's back to being a career point per game player.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

Lol at the people overreacting at his recent play.

Overreacting to his recent play? Well... it wasn't just that. It's also his complete and utter disappearing act in the Boston series, as well as the very real concern that he might be injury prone. Those three things together make people question the borderline guaranteed 12-13 million he'll likely sign for next year.

 

[Dreakmur]

No, please. We seriously don't need to see that again. How many metrics do you people need until it's ingrained that Hyman is pound for pound one of the worst offensive players in the league?

Hyman is not an offensively skilled player, but that doesn't mean he isn't an effective player. He plays an important role on his line.

If he was playing on the first PP unit, I would see a problem.

 

[Mr Hockey]

Overreacting to his recent play? Well... it wasn't just that. It's also his complete and utter disappearing act in the Boston series, as well as the very real concern that he might be injury prone. Those three things together make people question the borderline guaranteed 12-13 million he'll likely sign for next year.

you know Boston matched Chara, McAvoy against him in the playoffs.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

you know Boston matched Chara, McAvoy against him in the playoffs.

So what? He's a 13 million dollar player.